Something Wicked
by Amethyst Bubble
Summary: Something wicked this way comes... Wil's about to find out that magic isn't as easy as waving a magic wand around and saying "Abra Cadabra". Especially when you might be one of the keys...(AU, shonen ai.)
1. Discovering Magic

A/N: I love this fic. I really, really do. It's my precious. It's an AU idea that I got while I was going to NY city and I've been working on it ever since. I always loved witches (with my parents, how could I not?) and I've always wanted to write an AU involving them. I've had several ideas, but this is the only one that I've ever considered to be, well, good. Eh…don't like the title too much. It was all I could think of. I might change it in the future, if I can think of something better.

Disclaimer: See this? It's a disclaimer. If I owned Fire Emblem, the word 'disclaimer' wouldn't be there.

**_WARNINGS: _**Shonen ai, slight language, violence. Nothing too bad.

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**Something Wicked**

Chapter 1

By Amethyst Bubble

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            In the summer, the air in New York is hot and humid. It presses down on you, so you can barely breath. New Yorkers are used to it. They barely notice the heat as they go around their daily business.

            Raven's eyes stung from the sweat that dripped down from his crimson bangs. He wasn't used to this kind of heat; everything just felt so _heavy_. People pushed past him, talking to each other or on their cell phones, their skin glistening in the hot summer sun.

            Crimson eyes narrowed and Raven let out a sigh. He hated waiting. Wasn't Legault supposed to be helping him? He growled at the thought of the lavender haired man. The second they get to the city, he claims he has business to attend to and runs off, leaving Raven to look for this supposed witch Ninian had sensed on his own.

            "China town, she says," He grumbled, entering a large store named Pearl River, according to it's sign. At least the place had air conditioning. He could seek refuge from the heat within it's walls. "You'll find him around there, she says."

            A flash of color caught his eye. Brown and red mixed together, a sort of mahogany color, against forest green.

            A teenage boy, maybe a few years younger then Raven himself, was standing by a rack of Chinese-style shirts, running his fingers over the silky material. His hair was what had caught Raven's eye, a rich color that was definitely mahogany the crimson-haired teen decided. He wore a green shirt and worn blue jeans with a large hole in the left knee.

            But it wasn't his hair color or his clothing that kept Raven from dismissing him as just another New Yorker. Something about the boy was out of the ordinary, though Raven couldn't put his finger on what it was.

            He took a few steps closer to the boy, and suddenly the air felt much cooler. Raven frowned, that was certainly odd.

Sensing the presence behind him, the boy turned around, locking his warm brown eyes with Raven's crimson ones, "Nice store, isn't it? I come here all the time. Their air conditioning is pretty good, but most of the cold air escapes because they leave that door open! Not too smart, is it?" He grinned widely, waving his hand in the direction of the door.

The motion would have looked ordinary to most, but Raven's well trained eye caught something most people wouldn't have been able to see. A trail of something silvery, almost invisible, circled around the other boys arm, swirling about him.

            "My name's Wil," He stuck his hand out. Raven reached over, tracing the silver stuff. Definitely magic, he decided. So this was the kid Ninian had sensed.

            "Raven," he replied. "Did you know you could do that?" Raven inquired, still tracing the silvery magic Wil had somehow conjured up.

            "Do what? You mean the silvery stuff that makes the air all cold?" Wil blinked, "You mean you can see it to? That's great! I thought I was crazy, because I could create this silver stuff and no one else could see it! That's a relief!" He grinned widely.

            "You know that it's magic, right?" Raven asked, hoping that Wil did. It was a real pain to explain to them that they had 'magical powers'. Raven scoffed at the term. It was simply another sense that some people had and some people didn't. There wasn't all that much that was 'magical' about it at all.

            Wil's brown eyes widened considerably, and Raven mentally cursed. "You mean magic? Like in Harry Potter? That kind of magic? Are you joking with me? I mean, you can see the silver stuff and all, but c'mon, magic? That stuffs not real…is it?" Raven rubbed his temples. Did this kid always talk so fast?

            "Yes it's real. It's really more of talent some people posses though. You know how some people are double jointed?"

            Wil nodded, "I had an uncle like that. He could do the coolest things! Old Uncle Tom could have been in the circus and everything, but instead he was a dentist. That's really wasting a talent, if you ask me…"

            Raven twitched. He needed a nice piece of duct tape to slap over Wil's mouth. That would keep him quiet.

            Wil suddenly stopped his rant about 'talent wasting dentist for an uncle' and locking his eyes with Raven's. "…Does that make me a witch, or something?"

            Raven opened his mouth to speak but Wil was quicker, "Or are witches only female? So am I a wizard? Or a warlock? Hey, does do I have to use a magic wand to work mag-mmph!"

            Raven clapped a hand over Wil's mouth, "The term witch applies to magic-users of both genders," he explained. "No, you don't need a magic wand to use magic. You'll develop your powers on your own, though it'd be good to get you some instruction. I'm going to offer you something, so if you could shut up and listen, I'll begin." He drew his hand away from Wil's mouth.

            "I'm listening," Wil said, absorbing the information he'd just received.

            "I'm a witch. I live in a house with a bunch of other witches. You could get the training you need there. You could also get protection." Raven noticed the confused look in Wil's eyes and decided to elaborate. "There are witch hunters out there that will kill an untrained witch without a second thought."

            "Witch hunters?" Wil repeated, tilting his head to one side, frowning in a rather confused manner.

            "They have the same powers we do, but they refuse to admit that there witches," Raven explained, his crimson eyes darkening to a wine color. "They use their powers to hunt other witches. To kill them."

            A look of horror crossed Wil's face, "That's horrible! How can they do that?"

            Raven shook his head, "That's why it'd be wise if you came with me. There's enough of us that we could defend you incase of an attack." Raven paused, waiting for Wil's reply.

            The brown eyed boy had a look of deep thought on his face, one that said he was seriously considering Raven's offer, "How do I know you're telling the truth?" He said after a moment's hesitation. "You could be trying to kidnap me, and take me to some kind of Kentucky slave trade-"

            "Kentucky slave trade?" Raven repeated, raising an eyebrow. Why was he always sent to find the crazy ones?

            Wil waved a hand, "You know what I mean! I could go with you and never return! You could be lying to me about this whole thing!"

            "You want proof?" Raven asked. Wil nodded, and Raven sighed. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, forming a tiny flame in his hand. Curling his hand into a fist, Raven extinguished the flame.

            "Wow!" Wil exclaimed, uncurling Raven's hand and examining it. "Didn't that hurt?" Brown eyes looked up into Raven's crimson ones, questioning him.

            Raven shook his head, "No, it didn't. You'll learn to do those sort of things with training."

            Wil stared at Raven in awe for a few seconds, before his usual wide grin, "Okay, then! I'll do it!"

            Raven let out a sigh of relief. The last few witches had been a lot more reluctant, and therefore a lot more trouble.

            "So, can I go get my stuff before we leave to…to…where exactly are we going?"

            Raven rolled his eyes, and began to explain.

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            The apartment building where Wil lived was an old building, concrete steps leading up to the doorway. Ivy grew up the stone walls, the long green vines looking slightly wilted in the hot summer sun.

            Wil walked a couple of steps ahead of Raven, trotting up to the door and fishing the key out of his pocket. A window slid open and an old woman poked her head out.

            "You're back early today," She commented, looking Wil over. "Where you been, boy?"

            "Just went to China town, Mrs. Waters," Wil smiled at her. She glared at him.

            "It's too noisy down there, all those people hustling and bustling, and all those fish markets! How much fish can one person have? Pfeh," Her eyes wandered from Wil, and then to Raven. "Who's he?"

            "Ah!" Wil exclaimed, "That's just Raven, Mrs. Waters! He's a friend of mine!"

            A friend? Raven blinked, they'd barely known each other half an hour, and they were already 'friends'. Wil was just too social.

            "So, you're got yourself a boyfriend, eh?" The old lady raised an eyebrow, making a face. "I always knew you weren't straight, boy. Just too much evidence in that department," She scoffed, leaning a bit farther out the window. "Don't be doing no dirty stuff up in the apartment I'm renting you! And for half price, no less!"

Wil turned scarlet, "M- Mrs. Waters! He's not my boyfriend!"

"I'm already spoken for, thank you very much," Raven glared up at the old woman.

She glared back down at him, before a smirk spread over her wrinkled face. "I like you, boy. You've got nerve talking to me like that. I won't be takin' up anymore of your time. Head on up, but," She paused, narrowing her eyes at them for emphasis. "No funny stuff." The window slammed shut with a bang.

Wil laughed nervously, opening the door and stepping inside, "You'll have to excuse Mrs. Waters, she's getting a little senile."

A door in the hallway opened, and the old lady stuck her head out, "I'm not senile, boy. I'm just as sharp as I was twenty years ago, and don't you forget it!" The door slammed shut with a bang, much like the window.

            "Apparently her hearing's just as good as it was twenty years ago too," Raven commented, raising an eyebrow. Wil had one odd land lady. She reminded him of Hannah, the old fortune teller back home.

            Wil laughed, starting up the stairs, "The elevator stopped working two months ago." He said, "Good thing I never used it in the first place. I live on the third floor."

            The inside of the building wasn't much better then the outside. The walls had cracks on them, the paint was chipping and the floorboards creaked. Raven was almost surprised that there was no ivy growing inside.

            Wil had some trouble opening the door to his apartment. Apparently, you had to unlock the door, and then give it a good kick before it would open. Inside the one room apartment was scarcely furnished. A bed lay in alongside the wall, and a small, dented radio was placed in one corner. Wil's clothes were in cardboard boxes that were stacked up against the wall.

            The brown eyed boy grabbed a small suitcase that lay in a corner and began shoveling clothes into it. Raven leaned against a wall, looking around, "Do you live alone?" He asked, surveying the small apartment.

            Wil nodded, "Yep. I moved out of my parent's house five years ago."

            "Five years?" Raven raised an eyebrow. "How old are you?" He hadn't thought that Wil was older then he was, and he was only nineteen.

            "I'm seventeen," Wil replied, struggling to close the suitcase.

            "You mean you moved out when you were _twelve_?" Raven said, taking the suitcase from Wil.

            "Thanks," the other smiled. Crossing the room, he gave a tug and the door flew open, "Err, well, I didn't really move out…it was more like running away."

            "Why would you do that? Family issues?" Raven asked, following Wil closely.

            "My friend Dan and I decided the responsibility would be good for us," Wil replied, "but he quit after a month or so. He went back home and I haven't seen him since."

Quite a story, Raven thought, walking out of the building.

            "Where're you going with that suitcase, boy?" Mrs. Waters inquired, sticking her head out the window. She pointed a long bony finger at the suitcase, "You didn't come in her with no suitcase!"

            Wil turned, smiling at the old land lady, "Mrs. Waters, you've been the best land lady a guy could wish for!" He called.

            "You gone and bumped your head?" She inquired, giving him an odd look. She could swear that that boy got odder every day.

            "You see, I found out I'm a witch, and I've got magic and stuff, and Raven here's gonna take me to this place where there are other witches who can teach me more about magic, so I'm moving out! I'll miss you!" He waved to her.

            Raven growled, grabbing Wil by the arm and dragging him down the street.

            Mrs. Waters hung half out her window, her mouth hanging open, "The boy done gone lost her mind," She mumbled to herself, trying to make sense of what Wil had said. Magic and witches! Pfeh!

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            "You drive a car?" Wil asked as Raven dug around in his pocket for the keys.

            "What did you expect?" Raven growled.

            "I don't know, teleportation or broomsticks or something."

            "Teleportation can be done, but I don't have the patience to learn it," Raven explained. "And the whole broomstick thing is just fairy tale nonsense."

            "Oh," Wil said, blinking. "So, witches drive cars?"

           "No, they ride hippos. Of course they drive cars, you idiot!" Raven snapped, pulling open the car door and getting in. Wil walked around the car, opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat.

            "What's that?" He pointed to a piece of paper on the dashboard. Raven picked it up, reading the writing hastily scrawled across it.

            _Raven,_

_            Business is going to take longer then expected. I'll be back soon. Don't wait for me. When you find the kid Ninian sensed, drive him back. I'll find some other way of transportation. _

_Legault._

Raven cursed, crinkling the paper into a ball and throwing it into the backseat.

            Wil had read the note over Raven's shoulder, "Legault? Who's that?"

            "Another witch. I'm unfortunate enough to know him. The irresponsible bastard," Raven started up the car, sharply pulling away from the curb.

            Wil decided not to pursue the topic; Raven did not look like the kind of guy you should piss off. "So…is this witch house thingy in the city?" Wil inquired, changing the subject. He was curious about the place, anyway.

            "No," Raven replied.

            Wow, whole lot of information there, Wil thought sarcastically. He glanced at Raven. The red-haired teen was scowling at the road. Wil hoped he wasn't angry enough to run over any pedestrians.

            They were out of the city now, although Wil had no idea where they were exactly. Raven drove so fast the signs were just a blur as they whizzed by.

            "Please don't hit any little old ladies or squirrels!" Wil begged, breaking the silence. "The ladies are probably grandmothers and the squirrels have little furry grandchildren too!"

            For the first time that day since he'd arrived in the city, Raven smiled. A small smile, but a smile all the same.

            "So you are human!" Wil laughed, and the mood in the car lightened considerably, "Say, I don't suppose I could roll down the window, could I?" He asked, casting a glance at Raven.

            The other shrugged, "Sure."

            Wil grinned, rolling down the window. A soft breeze filled the car, whipping crimson and mahogany locks around their respective owners faces. Wil let out a laugh of pure delight. "So this is what country air feels like," He commented, "I've lived in the city my whole life and I've always wanted to know. The city air is okay, but it can't compare to this. This feels so fresh! So clean!" He laughed again.

            "Your element is probably wind." Raven commented quietly.

            "Element? What's that?"

            "There are six of them. Water, wind, fire, earth, darkness and light. Your element determines what kind of magic you work the best. I'm a fire element."

            "Oh," Wil said. "So I guess magic isn't as easy as just saying 'abra cadabra', huh?"

            Raven snorted, "Magic is hardly that simple." The car came to a sudden stop, "We're here."

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            Lucius sat on the porch of the old Victorian mansion, the winds whipping his blonde hair around him. It was nearly sunset, where was Raven? He bit his lower lip.

            "Getting hysterical isn't going to help you know." Serra commented, "He'll be back soon."

            "I can't wait to see the new witch!" Nino bounced up and down on her heels.

            Serra let out a dramatic sigh, "I hope it's a boy. A cute one who'll fall madly in love with me the moment he sees me." She pressed the back of her hand against her forehead, pretending to swoon.

            Lucius laughed lightly at the pink haired girls antics.

            Farina swung her legs over the arm of the wicker chair she was seated in, "Whoever they are, I hope they're loaded and gullible."

            Nino stopped her bouncing, running to the steps of the porch and peering into the distance, "We'll be finding out soon! That's the car, alright!" She bounced down the steps, running across the long grass.

            Lucius gracefully got to his feet, "Priscilla!" He called, "Raven's back!"

            A red head popped out the door, "My brother's back?" Priscilla questioned, a shy smile on her face.

            Lucius nodded, setting after Nino at a slower pace.

            Two figures got out of the car and Nino ran towards them.

            "Where's Uncle Legault?" The green-haired girl questioned, placing her hands on her hips. "Didn't he go with you?"

            "He said he had some other things to do. He'll be back later." Raven grumbled, scanning the horizon for a certain figure with long blond hair and clear blue eyes.

            "When exactly is later?" Nino questioned. Her blue eyes caught on the figure standing behind Raven. "Are you the new witch?"

            "Yeah," He grinned. "My name's Wil. What's yours?" He leaned down so he was eye level with her.

           "I'm Nino!" She exclaimed, pushing some loose strands of hair behind her ear. A flicker of movement caught her eye. "Raven! Where are you going? I'm not done with you, mister! Where is my Uncle Legault?" Wil laughed as the girl chased after the red haired teen.

            Raven paid no attention to Nino. He came to a stop in front of Lucius, "What are you doing out here? It's too hot for you!"

            "I was waiting for you of course." Lucius smiled, standing on tiptoe and placing a light kiss on Raven's cheek. Wil could have sworn he saw Raven turn as red as his hair.

            "They're so sweet it's sickening." Serra commented from her seat on the porch.

            "And the new kid doesn't look very wealthy at all!" Farina pouted, "No fair!"

            Raven motioned for Wil to follow him as he headed towards the house, Lucius walking next to him. Wil had to jog to catch up, Nino running behind him.

            He let out a gasp as he saw the house. It was a huge, three-floor Victorian style mansion. Two girls sat on the porch, both looked rather disappointed.

            "You're not rich, are you?" One of the girls asked as he passed.

            "No," Wil answered.

            The girl frowned, running a hand through her dark blue hair, "Dammit!"

            "Ignore Farina," Lucius advised Wil. "She's got a bit of an obsession with material things."

            "Money makes the World go round, my dear Lucius," She called after them as they entered the house.

            Raven and Lucius were talking quietly to each other, glancing back at Wil every once and a while. Wil caught a few words of the conversation.

            Lucius and Raven stopped half way down a long hallway, and Wil had to stop short to avoid walking in to them. Nino had long since disappeared down another hallway.

            Lucius turned around to face Wil, "Your teacher will be Rath. Hannah and Nils, our fortune tellers decided earlier today." Pushing one of the many doors in the hallway open, Lucius stepped inside.

            Well, Wil thought as he followed Lucius, at least the place had doors you didn't have to kick open.

            Inside the room was furnished in different shades of green. On a dark green couch sat a man with hair and eyes that matched the rest of the room. A bandanna hid most of his hair, but the strands that were visible were of a beautiful shade of green. Wil wondered what that hair would feel like. Silky, he imagined.

            The man looked up from the book he was reading, "Yes?"

            "Rath, this is Wil. He just arrived," Lucius explained, placing a hand on Wil's arm. "Hannah and Nils decided that he is to be your student."

            Rath sighed, getting up. He walked over to Wil, taking the brown eyed boy's hand in his own, "I'm Rath."

            A faint blush spread over Wil's cheeks as he shook Rath's hand, "I'm Wil."

            Nino went unnoticed, as she watched from the doorway. "And I think you'd be cute together," She whispered to herself, a grin breaking over her face.

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Chapter 1-End

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….That was really long. X.x;; That's the longest thing I've written in ages! It's like 11 pages on Microsoft Word. Sorry if it seemed a little fast-paced, if I'd written it any slower, I'd had had to break this into two chapters!

Hope you all enjoyed! And for those of you who are wondering where the hell the next chapter of The Troubles of Matchmaking is, don't worry, I'm working on it. And no, Nino does not play a major role as matchmaker in this fic, I just thought it'd be a cute note to end it on.

Oh, and Pearl River is a real store in New York. It's a Chinese store, and it's wonderful! They've got really pretty clothes, and one of the best selections of candy I've ever scene! So much Pocky…

In the next chapter, Wil's magic lessons begin! The mystery about what business Legault was attending to (although I'm sure you all can guess) is…well, probably not discovered quite yet. And a bunch of other stuff!

Oh, one more note! I'm going on vacation from the 18th to the 27th, so I probably won't be updating much until I get back. Sorry!

Reviews and shonen ai fanfictions make the authoress happy! When the authoress is happy, she updates! You get the hint!


	2. The Keys, Part 1: Meditation

A/N: Looking back on the last chapter, I found a lot of mistakes (and not of the spelling and grammar kind, although I'm sure there are lots of those, too). If my mom found this, she would probably lecture me on how there's no such thing as black magic (evil magic, dark magic, call it what you like, I'll be using it later) and so and so forth. On another subject, no, RianneHime, Matthew and Guy are not bad! They'll be in this chapter. I love them to much to make them all evil!

Disclaimer: There are people out there that deny that Matthew and Guy are madly in love. Based on that fact alone, I can tell you that I don't own FE.

**_WARNINGS!: _**Shonen ai, swearing, minor violence to come.

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Something Wicked

Chapter 2

By Amethyst Bubble

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            The next morning was even sunnier the day before it, and Wil marveled at the expanse of green grass surrounding the mansion. A gentle breeze blew through the open windows, and the sound of chirping birds filled the area. It was a peaceful day…

            "SAIN!"

            "I didn't mean it, Kent! It was an accident!"

            "Accident? _Accident_? How can you accidentally use your magic to flip up girls' skirts?!"

            Rath steered Wil down the hallway and away from the two, "Just ignore them."

            "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it!"

            "You are going to personally apologize to each of those girls!"

            A bright smile lit up Sain's face, "Really?"

            "…On second thought, you're going to write them each a sincere letter of apology, all of which I will read before you mail them."

            Sain's face fell, "Aww…you spoil all my fun!"

            Rath sighed, "We'll try to find a quiet room."

            "There's such a thing?" Wil joked, smiling up at Rath.

            Rath smirked, "There might not be."

            They walked through hall after hall. Wil had long since lost track of how many rooms they'd passed. He briefly entertained the idea that the house itself might be magic. It could be under some spell that made the number of rooms inside infinite. But, that would make it kind of hard to navigate, wouldn't it? Rath seemed to have a pretty good idea of where he was going.

            Nino appeared from around a corner. She sported quite a fearsome frown and she muttering something to herself. Rath attempted to drag Wil into a room before she spotted them, but he was too late. Her sky blue eyes landed on them, and she marched up to them.

            "Rath!" She cried, stopping in front of them, her hands on her hips. "Where is Legault? Didn't he get back last night?"

            Rath shook his head, "…I don't know, Nino. Go ask… Ninian."

            "I'll do that," She replied, spinning on her heel and stomping back down the hallway.

            Wil watched the retreating figure, "Who's Legault, anyway?"

            Rath ushered him into a room, "He's another witch here. He's sort of her uncle."

            "How can you be sort of someone's uncle?" Wil questioned. You were either someone's uncle or you were not. It was that simple…right?

            "They arrived together. Nino couldn't have been older then seven at the time. She's always called him her uncle… although they aren't actually related. He acts like her uncle…spoils her rotten." Rath kneeled on the floor, pulling out a couple of small, velvet bags out of his pockets. He upended the bags, the contents tumbling onto the contents on the floor. Various herbs, crystals and other objects spilled out, scattering over the floorboards.

            "Do you need help?" Wil offered, watching intently as Rath spread the items out in a seemingly random order.

            "No," the green haired man answered, continuing with his arrangement.

            Wil took a moment to look at the room. It was huge, lined with bookshelves that went from floor to ceiling. Blue drapes fluttered in the wind, the windows had been left open. On a table in a far corner sat a crystal ball, glimmering in the morning sun. Finally, Wil's eyes landed on the small, oriental style fish pond in the middle of the room, seemingly built into the floor. Okay, it was official: this house was nuts. What was a fish pond doing in the middle of a room? Shouldn't something like that be outside?

            Wil was just about to ask about the pond when Rath motioned for him to sit down. Wil stepped into the circle Rath had constructed out of crystals and herbs, careful not to disturb the arrangement of items.

            "Sit cross-legged…like I am."

            Wil did as Rath said, mimicking the others position. Rath passed his hand over the five or so candles he'd inside the circle, their wicks bursting into flame. Wil gasped in awe. "How do you do that?"

            "You'll be able to do similar things with time," Rath said, reaching over and adjusting the position of Wil's left leg. The brown-eyed boy yelped.

            "That hurts!" He exclaimed, wincing slightly.

            "…You'll get used to it."

            Wil whimpered. He certainly hoped so, this position hurt.

            "Don't think about it…" Rath said, placing a hand on Wil's knee. The gesture definitely took Wil's mind off the fact that his leg was twisted into a position he didn't think possible. All he could think of now was Rath's hand on his knee, how close Rath was. Wil noticed that Rath had really nice eyes, especially when they were half closed, gazing at him with a sort of lazy look. He was sure his cheeks rivaled the color of Raven's hair right now.

            "Close your eyes," Rath instructed. Wil obeyed rather reluctantly, closing his eyes meant he couldn't stare at Rath any longer.

            Rath studied his new student for a moment. He couldn't help but think that he was very cute. He looked so peaceful with his eyes closed, his long black lashes contrasting with his pale skin. Shaking his head, Rath reminded himself to concentrate on the task ahead, and not his new student's appearance.

            "Take a couple of deep breaths," Rath let his own eyes drift shut. If he couldn't see Wil, he couldn't be distracted by him. "Listen to the beating of your own heart. Concentrate on the rhythm."

            Rath opened his eyes, watching Wil intently, "Stop fidgeting." He massaged Wil's knee lightly. Wil stiffened, then relaxed. It was hard for him to be so still, since he liked to almost constantly be in movement. Footsteps were like heartbeats, he noticed. He concentrated on a single memory, himself running down the New York sidewalk, the rain soaking through his clothes. He was laughing. The feeling of running with the rain hitting your face and drenching you was wonderful, just… wonderful.

            "That's better," Rath commented, watching as Wil became more relaxed, his breathing evening out. "Now, stop thinking. Don't think about anything except yourself. Just yourself in the darkness," He paused, giving Wil a moment to envision this scenario. "…What do you feel?"

            "I feel…" Wil paused. How did he feel? He could see the darkness surrounding him, that was easy enough. But what did he feel? He felt something, maybe more then one thing…but he couldn't identify them yet.

            "…Just darkness?" Rath guessed, trying to help his student out.

            "No…there's something more then darkness. I feel…I feel like there's wind wrapping around me."

            Rath breathed a sigh of relief; this exercise was used to determine a person's element. If Wil felt wind, then his element was wind. Wind was a reasonably easy element to teach.

            "…There's more," Wil said, his brow furrowing in a frown. Rath froze, _more_? How could Wil feel more then one thing? He'd never heard of anything like this before.

            "I feel something solid beneath me feet…clay, it feels like clay," Wil's eyes snapped open. "That was weird," he breathed. Then he noticed the shocked expression Rath wore. "Did I do something wrong?" His soft brown eyes widened. He wanted to please Rath, and messing up on the first day was not the way to make a good impression.

            "Stay here," Rath ordered, getting to his feet. "You may look at whatever you like but don't leave the room." He crossed the room swiftly, banging the door shut behind him.

            Wil blinked at the spot where his teacher had been moments before. He slowly stood up, wincing. "Oww…" His legs had cramped from sitting in that position so long.

            He decided to explore the room a little bit. He walked, or rather limped seeing as his leg still hurt, over to the bookshelves, scanning them. Wil blinked, he didn't know that so many books had been written on magic. The only book he'd ever seen about magic was a children's book about how to pull a rabbit out a hat.

            A soft blue light filled the room, and Wil turned around. The blue light seemed to be coming from the fish pond. Wil took a couple of tentative steps towards the pond, hoping that some giant sea-monster didn't appear. Well, if witches existed, why not sea monsters?

            The blue light slowly materialized into a figure, slightly smaller then Wil himself. When the strange light faded away, Wil found himself staring at a teenage boy with a dark green braid. He wore a navy blue Chinese style shirt, black pants and small golden earrings. He floated a few inches above the surface of the water.

           Wil took a few more steps forward, a few doubts about sea monsters still lingering. The other looked normal enough, but then Wil remembered exactly where he was. In a house full of witches. Normal wasn't something that existed around here.

            The green haired boy's eyes slowly opened, though his expression was a bit glazed. After a few moments, he blinked a couple times, looking from side to side. "This…is not where I wanted to go," he commented. He let out a yelp, swaying a from side to side. Whatever he'd been doing to suspend himself in thin air, it was failing him now.

            Wil ran up, steadying him, "Easy now," He soothed, helping the other back onto solid ground.

            The boy smiled at Wil. "Thanks," He said. "…I don't think I've met you. I'm Guy." He stuck his hand out.

            Wil shook it, grinning. "I'm kind of new here," He scratched the back of his head. "I'm Wil, by the way. Nice to meet you."

           "Oh yeah," Guy said, pushing his dark-green bangs out of his eyes. Wil noticed that his hair color was similar to Rath, and wondered if they were related. "I heard about you. You're Rath's student, aren't you?"

            Wil nodded, "Do you know Rath?" He asked, curious.

            "We're distant cousins," Guy replied. Wil mentally cheered, he knew he had been right about Rath and Guy had been related. The green-haired teen opened his mouth as if to say more, but something distracted him. "Matthew, I know you're there. You as well come out," he called, dark eyes darting over to a dark corner of the room.

            A man with sandy-brown hair faded out of the shadows. Wil 'eep'ed; did people always appear out of nowhere?

            "Your water sprites led me down here," The sandy-haired man gestured to three small bluish shapes floating around his head. "I assume your water-teleportation technique isn't quite perfected?"

            The three bluish shapes floated over to Guy, giggling. Wil leaned over, inspecting them. They looked just the fairies in picture books. They were the size of his palm, and even had little wings.

            Guy blushed, fidgeting, "W-well…not exactly," he admitted, toying with the end of his braid. He cleared his throat, quickly changing the subject, "Matthew…You aren't going out with…Leila," he spat out the name, "tonight, are you?"

            Matthew sighed, "I don't know why you hate her so much," he said, crossing his arms across his chest.

            "She hates me back," Guy muttered.

            Matthew rolled his eyes, "If you'd just try-"

            Guy cut Matthew off with a shop glare, "Just answer my question." He said sharply, placing his hands on his hips.

            "Yes, yes I am."

            Guy frowned, "Why? I don't know how you can stand to be around her!"

            "I _love _her, Guy!" Matthew exclaimed, raking a hand through his hair.

            Maybe it was Wil's imagination, but he thought he saw deep hurt flash across Guy's face. The green-haired teen quickly covered it up, putting on a mask of anger again. He glared at Matthew, "She's just not right for you!" He cried.

            "Yeah, so who exactly is?" Matthew snapped, grabbing Guy by the shoulders and shaking him.

            Guy's eyes screamed _"I am!" _but he said nothing, looking at the ground. He reached up, tentatively placing a hand on Matthew's arm.

            Matthew looked at him in surprise, wondering what brought over this sudden change in emotions. "Guy…?"

            "Take one of my water sprites with you," Guy whispered, looking up and locking his eyes with Matthew. "If you have to go out with her, at least take one of my sprites." The sprites gathered around, peering at Matthew with the same pleading expression that their master had.

            Matthew sighed, "Fine, I'll take one of your sprites. Happy now?"

            Guy nodded. He blushed, unable to tear his eyes away from Matthew's. Wil smiled, watching the situation, his brown eyes sparkling.

            "I'll see you later, okay?" Matthew said, giving Guy's braid a swift yank, before vanishing into the shadows again. Wil frowned; how did he do that?!

            "Matthew!" Guy shrieked at the shadows, "How many times have I told you! Leave my hair alone!" He blinked, turning around and looking at Wil, "Oh…sorry about that. I guess I forgot you were here," he mumbled apologetically.

            "You love him, don't you?" Wil asked, gazing intently at Guy.

            Guy turned crimson, stuttering. "W-who? Y-you mean M-Matthew? I don't…I don't…Okay, maybe I do." He looked away, avoiding Wil's eyes. "Is it that obvious?"

            Wil nodded, grinning widely. "Uh-huh! You'd be so cute together!" He chirped, bouncing on his heels. Then, something hit him, and he stopped bouncing. A serious look spread over his normally smiling face, "But…he has a girlfriend, right? Lila or something like that, wasn't it?"

            "Leila," Guy corrected, scowling. "I hate her! Every time I even try to _talk_ to Matthew, she interrupts! She has his love already, d-does she want to take away m-my few moments of happiness?" Guy started stuttering, his voice filled to the brim with emotion as the words tumbled from his lips. He sunk to his knees, staring blankly at the fluttering blue curtains.

            Wil kneeled down next to him, not really knowing what to say. "Hey, cheer up! He really likes you too! I can just feel it!"

            "He might like me, but he sure as hell doesn't love me," Guy breathed. "Love hurts. I should be used to that fact by now, shouldn't I?" He laughed a bit. A bitter, jealousy filled laugh.

            "Rath, calm down!" Ninian watched the green-haired man pace around the room. "Now, you say he felt two elements?" Her eyebrows furrowed. Two elements was almost unheard of. Almost. She couldn't help but wonder…no, it couldn't be.

            "Wind…and earth," Rath said slowly. He looked over at Ninian, locking his eyes with her ruby ones.

            "That's…interesting, to say the least," She fiddled with one of the ribbons in her hair. "It was Raven who went to get him, was it not? Maybe…maybe his magic mixed with Wil's, somehow?"

            Rath shook his head, "Raven has fire magic."

Ninian frowned, "I can't think of any other explanation…except that…" She bit her lip, thinking.

            "…What?" Rath asked after Ninian had been quiet for a few moments.

            "He could be one of the keys, couldn't he? The ones the scrolls talk about."

            "Scrolls?" Rath raised an eyebrow. "There are…dozens of scrolls. Which scrolls do you mean?"

            "Do you expect me to know each and every one of those scrolls?" Ninian snapped. "It's in a scroll!"

            "…What are these 'keys' exactly?" Rath asked, a little afraid to know the answer.

            Ninian shook her head, "I'm not quite certain." She said, "I don't believe that scroll was completely translated. I know it mentioned something about five keys, each possessing something special. I should think that having two elements would be special, wouldn't it?"

            Rath was silent as he absorbed this information.

            "You should go get Wil," Ninian said slowly, tracing a pattern on her table with her finger.

            "Why?" Rath looked up sharply.

            "Well, don't you think he should know?" Ninian frowned. "I'm calling a meeting. Be back here as fast as you can." She ordered, giving him a nod.

            Rath returned the nod, exiting the room, Ninian's words about Wil echoing in his mind.

            "Hey, Guy? Guy? Guy, please snap out of it!" Wil begged, waving a hand in front of the other's face. Guy continued to stare blankly ahead. "You're really starting to scare me! Can you hear me? You aren't _dying_ on me or something, are you?" Wil shook Guy by the shoulders, but Guy only continued to stare into space.

            Guy's water sprite's gathered around their master, pulling and tugging lightly on his hair and swinging from his earrings. When they got no reaction, the chattered worriedly to themselves, casting glances at Guy.

            One of them flew over to Wil, giving him the 'puppy-eyes' look. Wil shook his head, "I don't what to do either!" He was starting to get hysterical, "He just won't say anything, or move, or…or…I don't even know if he's still breathing! Okay, Wil, stay calm…stay calm. Don't panic. Oh, what are we going to do?" He cried.

        When Rath opened the door to the library where he had left Wil, quite a sight met his eyes. Wil was on his knees, hysterically screaming about something. Guy was next to him, staring into space. Guy's water sprites all flew over to Rath, chattering at high speed. Rath rubbed his temples; well, this day was turning out to be one big headache. He quickly crossed the room, kneeling besides Wil and Guy.

            "Rath!" Wil cried, tackling his teacher in a tight hug, "Guy's not saying anything and he's been like this for ten minutes and he's really scaring me and I'm not sure if he's still alive and and and…"

            "Wil," Rath untangled Wil's arms from around his neck. "Calm down. Guy does this from time to time."

            "So, this is normal?" Wil blinked.

            "…I suppose." Rath raised an eyebrow at Wil's choice of words.

            "How do we snap him out of it?" The brown-haired teen asked, casting a worried glance at Guy.

            "I'm…not sure."

            That was not what Wil wanted to hear, "What do you mean you're not sure? You said this wasn't the first time he's done this! How did you get him to snap out of it the first couple of times?!"

            "First," Rath instructed, putting a finger to his student's lips. "You need to stop hyperventilating." He paused and Wil nodded, taking a few deep breaths. "Next…I can't snap him out of this state."

            "Why can't you?" Wil shouted, getting hysterical again.

            Rath shrugged, "The only one who can snap him out of it is Matthew…I don't think you've met him-"

            Wil cut him off, "Actually, I have. He's the one with the one who fades out of shadows and tugs on Guy's braid all the time, right?"

            Rath blinked, "…Alright, you've met him after all…" He beckoned to one of the sprites. "Go find Matthew," he instructed it.

            The little sprite flew off, it's companions continued to tug at their master's clothes.

            "Ummm…Rath? Where did you go before?" Wil asked, trying to break the silence.

            "…I had to…tell Ninian something. You'll meet her very soon."

            "Very soon?" Wil echoed, blinking.

            "…A few minutes ago, actually. She's called a meeting, and…he," Rath pointed to Guy, "is going to make us late."

            They said nothing for a few moments, before the silence was broken by the door banging open. Matthew crossed the room wearing a worried expression.

            "He went into another trance, didn't he?" Matthew asked, kneeling before Guy.

            Rath nodded silently, getting up and dragging Wil across the room. Wil looked up at him, giving him a questioning look, but Rath's only answer was a shake of his head.

            "I don't see why you always have to snap him out of it," A female voice said.

            Turning, Wil saw a graceful red-headed woman leaning against the door. Her bangs hid one of her eyes, giving her a mysterious look.

            "Leila," Matthew sighed. "As long as it works and snaps him out of it, I don't mind once in a while."

            Leila snorted, rolling her eyes. "Yes, but lately it seems he's been going into these more and more often."

            Wil looked at the girl again. So this was Matthew's girlfriend, the one Guy seemed to hate so much. From what Wil could see Guy was right about her hating him back.

            "He's just under a lot of stress," Matthew frowned, placing a hand on Guy's shoulder. "His water teleportation is taking a lot out of him."

            "Yes, I'm sure it is," She sighed. "Just wake him up already."

            "My pleasure," Matthew leaned closer to Guy, until his lips were against the others cheek. Leila frowned, looking away. Matthew's nimble fingers played with Guy's green hair as he whispered something to the other.

            A soft sigh escaped Guy's lips. After a moment, he blinked, eyes darting to the grinning man next to him. Guy blinked again, before letting out a small 'eek!' and falling backwards, blushing furiously.

            "M-M-Matthew?" He stuttered, pushing himself off the floor.

            "You went into another trance," Matthew grinned.

            "I did…?" Guy blinked. It was then that he noticed his hair was not in its usual braid, but flowing loose around his shoulders. "You undid my braid!"

            "Aw, but Guy! It looks so nice loose!"

            "Give me my hair tie back!" Guy attempted to snatch the object out of Matthew's hand, but the other was too quick. He stood, holding the hair tie out of Guy's reach. Guy got to his feet, leaping for the object Matthew kept hostage, "Dammit, Matthew!"

            Matthew laughed, reaching over and playing with a few strands of silky green hair. Leila glared at Guy, and cleared her throat.

            "Ninian called a meeting, remember?" She said coldly.

            Guy leaped for the hair tie again, but missed. He cursed, folding his arms across his chest. "Stupid short genes…"

            Rath sighed, "We'd better get going or Ninian will have our heads." He led Wil out of the room. Leila dragged Matthew after them, and Guy followed, still trying to get his hair tie back.

            Ninian's room was large, covered in soft fabrics in shades of blue and silver. She sat at a small, wooden table with a mirror built into the center. Sofas lined the room, and people accompanied most of them, wearing confused looks on there faces. What had Ninian called them for? The blue-haired girl looked up as Rath and Wil (followed shortly by Leila, Matthew and Guy) entered.

            "You're late," She said, raising an eyebrow. "Everyone else is already here…"

            "Except for Uncle Legault!" Nino piped up, frowning. Oh, when he came back, she was going to give him a piece of her mind! How dare he run off like that, not even bothering to tell her where he was going.

            "Legault warned me that his business might take a few days," Ninian sighed. That girl had a one track mind.

            "What business? He told you something? What did he tell you?" Nino demanded, staring intently at Ninian.

            "He didn't tell me what his business was, just that he had some," Ninian informed the young witch. "Now, if we could please begin…?" She paused, her crimson eyes wandering over the group. "Thank you. Wil, if you could please come here?" She gave him a kind smile, gesturing to the chair next to her. Wil sat down, wondering what this was all about. They weren't going to kick him out, were they? He panicked. Well, if worse came to worse, he could always move back in with Mrs. Waters, but…He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up. Rath stood behind him, as if to act like a shield.

            "Rath, you may sit down if you like. Your presence is not necessary." Ninian informed him. Rath shook his head, tightening his grip on Wil's shoulder. Wil felt relieved that his teacher refused to sit down. He still didn't know what this meeting was about, but Rath wouldn't let anything happen to him.

            Ninian sighed, "Very well." She turned to Wil, "Rath informed that something…unusual…happened during your meditation lessons this morning?"

            Wil blinked, so that's what this was about? "I don't know! Was it unusual? Maybe I didn't do it right! Or maybe I need more practice, or something! Please don't kick me out! I can learn, really I can!"

          In a corner of the room, a bubble-gum pink haired girl frowned. So, there was someone more talkative then her, huh? Well, she'd just have to remedy that later. Yes, a private concert for the house would do the trick…a wide grin spread over her face as she contemplated what she should sing, and if she could sing high enough to break glass?

            Ninian cut Wil off, "What did you feel during your meditation with Rath?"

            Wil stopped his rant, "Huh? Oh, uhh, I felt…" He paused, trying to remember. "I felt wind wrapping around me, and clay…or dirt or something like that, beneath my feet. Is that really so strange?"

            According to the shocked looks on the faces of the people who were currently staring at him, it was.

Chapter 2-End

…Darn, I'd meant to add a little more onto that, but…I guess that's a good place to stop. I still have to churn out another chapter of The Troubles of Matchmaking tonight. Going on (another) vacation tomorrow. Don't worry, I'm coming home on Tuesday, I think. So, I'll see you all then, my lovely readers!

Oh, by the way, Guy's trances aren't serious. It's simply something he does when he's upset. I've done it myself. You basically just stare at something until you don't notice anything around you. So…yeah. He's just fine.

In the next chapter of Something Wicked: More about the 'keys' is revealed. What exactly is their purpose, and where are the rest of them? Meanwhile, Legault's business is revealed… (Although you all pretty much guessed what it was, I still have a surprise or two up my sleeve!)


	3. The Keys, Part 2: Arguments

**A/N**: Wow! So many nice reviews. Thank you all so much! Glad that everyone thinks so highly of this fic…I didn't think it was that good at first. Well, here's the third chapter. Hope everyone likes this one as much as the last two. What about the title? Does everyone like the title? Should I change it? Am I worrying too much about this? Yes? Okay, then, I'm calm, I'm calm…Argghh! (Runs around in circles)

**Disclaimer**: I am honored that you all think I own Fire Emblem. I am deeply saddened to inform you that-…Wait, you don't think I own Fire Emblem? ...Then what's the point of this again? ...Oh, right, not getting sued. I don't own Fire Emblem. I don't own any of the many fabulous books I mention in this chapter, either.

**A Note to SDS-YukiChan **(…did I get your name right? I'm not looking at the review right now, so…?) : Really? That's so cool! Hey, have you by any chance read **The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells**? Good book on magic…also doubles as a brick (anyone who's seen the book knows what I mean). **Earth Mother Magic** is another good book, by the same author…Sorry, babbling now.

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Something Wicked

Chapter 3

By Amethyst Bubble

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Dusk was beginning to set in as Legault made his way up the street. He figured it was around five at night. He surveyed the tall skyscrapers closely, looking for one in particular. It was somewhere on this block, if he remembered correctly.

After another few minutes of wandering around, and cursing all the buildings in New York for looking alike, Legault finally found what he was looking for. As he approached the building, something from up high caught his eye. Looking up, he saw a figure standing on the ledge of a window nine stories up. Legault knew that figure…

"Heath! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Legault!" Heath gasped, gripping the ledge tightly.

"Get down from there!" Legault shouted, what was Heath thinking?

Heath looked from Legault, to the ground, then to Legault again, "I don't think you want me to do that…"

"You know what I mean!"

"But, Legault…" Heath whined slightly. Right now, his pride wasn't something that mattered too much.

"Get back inside," Legault ordered, pointing to the open window behind Heath. "What are you thinking anyway? You couldn't possibly survive a nine story jump!"

"I wasn't going to jump from nine stories up!" Heath snapped. "What kind of an idiot do you think I am?"

"What was your brilliant idea, then?" Legault questioned, glaring up at Heath.

"There's a fire escape three floors down," Heath pointed. "I figured if I could jump and land on that…"

Legault groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead.

"…Then I could just climb down." Heath finished.

"You know, you proved me wrong," Legault began, locking his eyes with Heath's. "You're even more idiotic then I originally thought. Get inside!" He shouted.

Heath flinched at the words, scowling.

"Get inside," Legault repeated in a dangerous tone.

The green-haired young man surrendered, climbing back inside the window.

Legault sighed in relief, "I'll be up in a minute!"

The only reply was an annoyed 'hmmf'.

------------------------

"Wil…" Ninian broke the silence. "You possess two elements. Wind and Earth. It is…most unusual to have two elements."

"It is?" Wil squeaked. Well, he was just having an unusual couple of days, wasn't he? First, he found out he was a witch, which is pretty unusual by itself, and now, he's not even a normal witch? Was the universe conspiring against him or what?

"However," Ninian continued, locking her ruby eyes with Wil's brown ones. "There is a scroll, one that speaks about five keys."

"Keys?" Wil squeaked again. He really couldn't find anything else to say.

"Yes," Ninian said. "Five keys that each possess something unusual…something special." She smiled mysteriously, "I should think that possessing two elements would be special."

A small girl with curly orchid hair raised her hand, "N-Ninian? What e-exactly are these keys…for?" She asked timidly.

"I'm not sure, Florina," Ninian shook her head. "However, I do remember the scroll prophesizing that the keys will be able to do amazing things, and that they shall bring great things."

A blue haired man seated in the back spoke up, "Scrolls, prophecy, keys…you know what it is? It's a bunch of bull-"

Eliwood clapped a hand over Hector's mouth. "Hector, please!"

Raven was the next to speak, "You said there are five, right? Where are the other four, then?" He demanded.

"I don't know-" Ninian began, but she was cut off.

"You don't seem to know an awful lot," Matthew commented.

"Matthew!" Guy and Leila scolded in unison. When they realized that, they glared at each other. Matthew sighed, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. They only continued to glare.

"I don't see why we don't just sell those scrolls to the Metropolitan, or something," Farina swung her legs over the arm of one of the sofas. "I bet we could get a lot of money for them."

"Sell the scrolls?" Fiora gasped. She whacked Farina over the head, "Sister! I'm ashamed of you! How dare you even suggest it!"

"I think Farina's right," Serra inspected her nails. "The scrolls are just moldy old pieces of paper. Nothing they say is true. It's just a lie! A myth! Like the Yeti, or the Chupacabra."

"The Chupacabra is real!" Nils said, glaring at Serra.

"Sure it is," Serra drawled, not looking up from her hand.

"It is too!" Nils shouted, "If anything's not real, it's the Fae folk!"

"The Fae are real!" Nino piped up.

"How do you know, pipsqueak?" Hector asked, removing Eliwood's hand from his mouth. Eliwood scowled at his friend's behavior.

"Uncle Legault knows one!" She retorted, "He told me so!"

"I'm sure he did, Nino," Eliwood attempted to make peace. "Now, if we could all stop arguing and-"

"I wouldn't believe anything Legault says," Hector said.

"And why not?" Nino demanded.

"Because he's a thief, that's why!" Nils chimed in.

Eliwood sighed. Obviously, peace was an impossible goal.

"He's not a thief anymore!" Nino cried, "He only stole because we needed the money!"

"Then how come Lucius' best robe went missing?" Nils asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually, Raven just took it to be dry cleaned," Lucius said. "I spilled something on it and couldn't get the stain out."

Raven nodded, placing an arm around Lucius' shoulders.

"Well," Nils sputtered. "Other stuff's gone missing!" He scanned the room, his eyes falling upon Guy, whose hair was still loose. "Like where did Guy's hair tie go?"

"Matthew has it." Guy sighed, brushing a few locks of hair behind his ear. Matthew grinned triumphantly, playing with the long, dark-green strands. Leila frowned.

"Why would Uncle Legault steal a hair tie?" Nino placed her hands on her hips.

"I don't know!" Nils snapped. "I was just looking for an example!"

"Of what?" Nino retorted, "Your stupidity?"

"Oh, that's a real good one, greeny-locks…"

"Children, children, please…" Eliwood said, but was silenced by two pairs of glaring eyes.

"You stay out of this!" They snapped in unison.

Eliwood sighed, collapsing next to Hector, "You can't say I didn't try…"

Ninian rubbed her temples. This noise was too much. She caught Serra's eye, and mouthed 'Could you…?'

Serra nodded, grinning. She stood up, took a deep breath, and screamed "EVERYBODY BE QUIET!"

And just like that, everyone was quiet, their eardrums ringing from the sheer force of Serra's voice.

"Thank you," Serra chirped, sitting back down and going back to examining her nails. "Erky-Sweetie, how do you think I would look with purple nail polish?"

Ninian cleared her throat, "Now, if I may continue, I suspect that the keys-"

The word 'key' was all it took for the room to break into argument again. Ninian sighed, and lightly banged her head against the tabletop.

-------------------------

"You idiot," Legault growled as he materialized threw the wall. "What were you thinking?"

Heath sat on his bed, his knees pulled up to his chest. "I want to get out of here. I thought you understood that."

"Heath," Legault sighed, sitting down on the bed.

"Don't," Heath buried his face in his knees. "Just don't. You know that's my only way out," He looked up at Legault. "Don't you want me to be free, Legault?"

"Of course I do," Legault rubbed Heath's shoulder comfortingly. "I'm breaking you out tomorrow."

"What?" Heath's voice shook with hope, and his eyes lit up.

Legault rolled his eyes, "You didn't think I'd let you rot here, did you?"

"Why tomorrow? We could go tonight! They aren't here now!" Heath suggested, grabbing Legault's arm.

"No," Legault said. "Tomorrow. I want to show that hag that this cage she's kept you in isn't unbreakable."

"…It's not her fault," Heath breathed.

Legault sighed, shaking his head. "I brought food," He changed the subject. He pulled a bag out of his cloak and handed it to Heath.

"Chinese!" Heath exclaimed, looking through the contents of the bag, "Singapore Mei Fun! Fried Wontons!" He dug out the plastic fork in the bag and speared one of the wontons.

"I'm glad you like it," Legault half-smiled. Heath was so cute when he was happy. Legault was just glad he could make Heath's face light up like that.

"Legault, I love you," Heath said after he'd finished off the wonton.

"You'd better," Legault kissed Heath's cheek. "My niece is going to kill me when I get back."

-----------------------------

After a long hour of non-stop arguing, Ninian gave up. She stormed out of the room, cursing about how nothing ever got done. Most of the group dispersed minutes later, leaving only a few people left in the room.

Wil had collapsed on one of the sofas, mumbling about how this could not be happening. Rath was attempting to comfort his poor, confused student.

"Why me?" Wil wailed, leaning against Rath.

Rath rubbed circles on Wil's back, "…You're special."

"I don't want to be special! I've never wanted to be special! I just want to be normal! Can't I be normal witch number three or something?"

"Number…three?" Rath repeated, blinking. Well, Wil certainly was something out of the blue.

"I don't know! It just seemed normal!" Wil cried, burying his face in his hands.

Across the room sat the only other inhabitants of the room. Erk was calmly reading a book, as Serra leaned over the arm of the sofa, talking to Sain, and frequently glancing back at Erk. Kent sat in an armchair, reading a book that was upside down and twitching.

"Oh, Serra, my lovely, dainty butterfly," Sain clasped the pink-haired girl's hand and sighed romantically.

"Do tell me more," Serra giggled.

"You are truly an angel from up high. Tell me, did God send you to keep this lonely soul company?" Sain stared adoringly up at Serra. His eyes flitted over to Kent. The red-head continued to twitch, but he didn't look up. He flipped a page in his still upside down book and pretended to read. Sain sighed.

Serra also had her eye on someone else. A purple-haired, grouchy someone else. He ignored her, of course. She pouted, crossing her arms across her chest.

Leaning over the arm of the sofa farther, she whispered into Sain's ear. "It isn't working!"

"I know," Sain hissed back, looking most unhappy.

"Can you kick the flirting up a notch?" Serra asked, separating her finger and thumb an inch to illustrate her point.

Sain nodded. Clearing his throat, he got down on one knee before Serra, "Serra, my sweet," he began. "I fear I cannot live without you. Tell me, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Serra squealed, clapping her hands. "Oh, Sain!" She gushed, watching Erk's reaction out of the corner of her eye. He remained as calm as ever.

"Have a nice life together," He said without looking up from his book.

Kent, however, could not ignore this any longer. He slammed his book down, stormed over to Sain and dragged him to his feet.

"Kent?" Sain blinked. Well, it was about time the plan worked!

"You're mine, and mine alone!" Kent growled, shaking Sain by his shoulders. He dragged the brown-haired teen out of the room.

"Thanks, Serra!" Sain waved as Kent pulled him through the doorway.

Serra frowned. Oh, that was just dandy. Sain gets his prize, and what did she get? Nothing! The love of her life would be happy to see her get married to another man! How very unfair!

Oh well, on to Plan B.

"Erky," Serra squealed, latching onto his arm. "Erky, Erky, Erky…" She twirled a lock of his slightly wavy purple hair around her finger.

Erk closed his book, setting it down on the coffee table in front of him. Slowly, he turned to face Serra, an unreadable look in his eyes. "Serra, Serra, Serra…" He mimicked.

"Yes?" She asked, laying her head on his shoulder and gazing up at him with what she hoped was an innocent, doe-like expression.

"You know, it's funny. All I want to do with my afternoon is finish this one novel I'm reading. That's all I wanted to do, but, obviously, that's just too much to ask. First, Ninian calls us all here for this stupid meeting, which really didn't amount to anything seeing as no one in this whole house can ever agree on anything! And now, you won't leave me alone! What did I do to deserve this?" He asked the ceiling, shaking his head.

"So…" Serra began. "Does that mean you'll go out with me this Saturday night?"

"CANAS!" Erk shouted, standing up and fleeing the room, "The She-Devil won't leave me alone!"

Serra pouted, "Oh, that's right! Go hide behind Canas! I'll get you Erky!" Under her breath she added, "And your little dog too."

----------------------

Leila examined herself in her mirror, smoothing out the wrinkles in her black dress. Matthew was taking her to a very nice restaurant that evening, so she wanted to look nice. Pleased with her appearance, she picked up her hairbrush and gave her hair a quick going over.

Leila started as someone knocked at the door. Crossing the room quickly, she opened the door to find a petite, pink-haired girl wearing a large grin.

"Oooh, the little black dress!" Serra squealed as Leila ushered her in, "Classic." She gave her friend the thumbs-up sign as she sat down on the red-head's bed.

Leila smiled, "Thank you." She picked up two pairs of earrings from her dresser, holding each pair to her ears and comparing them. She settled on a gold and ruby pair.

"So, is tonight anything special?" Serra asked, her grin growing mischievous.

"Maybe," Leila sang, giving Serra a mysterious smile.

"So it is!" Serra exclaimed, clapping her hands in excitement. "You and Matthew are such a lovely couple," She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, closing her eyes and sighing.

"Thank you," Leila chuckled, slipping a few bangles on to her thin wrist.

Serra opened one eye, peering at Leila, "How special is 'special', by the way?"

"Very special," Leila replied with a wink, digging around in her closet for a pair of shoes. After a long mental debate, she decided on a pair of strappy sandals, slipping them on.

"Very special?" Serra repeated, giving her friend a look that said that if Leila didn't say more, Serra would be very, very annoyed. An annoyed Serra did not bode well for anyone or anything.

Leila stifled her giggles by pressing a hand to her mouth. She nodded, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

Serra's eyes widened considerably, "No…" She whispered, her grin growing wider. "You don't mean…"

"Well, no, not tonight, I don't think." Leila shook her head, her short red locks flying back and forth, "He does want me to meet his parents, though. I think he might ask me soon!"

"Matthew popping the question…" Serra giggled at the thought. "The second he does, you have to tell me!"

"I will," Leila assured, laughing along with her friend.

Serra got up, skipping over to Leila's dresser and handing her friend a bottle of perfume, "This one's the best," She said. "I'm going to be your Maid of Honor, right?"

"Of course," Leila laughed, spraying some of the perfume onto her wrist.

--------------------------

"Why won't she leave me alone?" Erk wailed, hitting himself over the head with a copy of War and Peace.

Canas removed the book from Erk's hands, "She likes you quite a deal. I think you should be honored."

"Easy for you to say," Erk glared at the older man. "She's not stalking you."

Canas laughed nervously, "No, she is not." Canas was very, very thankful that Serra was not stalking him. Very, very thankful indeed.

Nino entered the library, flopping down in an arm chair. She held out a book to Erk, "I liked this one much better then the last. It was a lot easier to read," she sighed, adjusting her headband.

Canas leaned over, inspecting the book, "Yes, Of Mice and Men is not a hard read."

"I suppose it's easier then Crime and Punishment," Erk commented dryly, taking the book from Nino. He looked through a stack of books, pulling out one. "I've got a treat for you," He said, handing the book to Nino.

Nino read the title out loud, "The Lord of the Rings…The Fellowship of the Ring."

"It's a sort of adventure book," Erk said. "You'll like it."

"…It's pretty long," Nino weighed the book in her hands.

"It's just the first volume," Canas commented, sorting the books on one of the shelves into alphabetical order.

Nino sighed. How come Erk always gave her the long books?

"It's not hard to read, and it's…fun," Erk said, helping Canas sort the books.

"If you say so," Nino said, tracing the letters on the cover with her finger.

Canas paused, something was not right about this situation. Nino wasn't as energetic as she usually was. He kneeled down before the young girl. "Why so down?" He asked, "You're usually more excited to try new books."

Erk leaned against the bookshelf, observing Nino. Canas was right, she did look a bit upset today. He wondered if this had anything to do with Legault's disappearance.

"Well, it's just that Uncle Legault…"

Bingo, Erk thought. When it came to Legault, Nino had a one track mind.

"I'm sure he's fine," Canas ruffled Nino's hair. "Legault's a talented witch and he's very capable of taking care of himself."

"I guess you're right," Nino sniffed.

Erk laid a hand on Nino's shoulder, half-smiling down at her, "Of course he's right. I'm sure he'll be back soon. Now, why don't you go and start that book I gave you?"

"Okay," Nino smiled, "Thanks for making me feel better!" She chirped, standing up and trotting out of the library, humming a little tune to herself.

"You're like an older brother to her," Canas commented. "It's cute."

"Shut up," Erk threw a Harry Potter book at Canas.

----------------------------

Wil lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling of his new room. He took his mind off the events of that afternoon by studying the room. The walls and ceiling were white, blank and lonely looking. There was a window looking out at the backyard of the house. In the distance, Wil could see a small garden. Maybe he'd ask Rath what was growing there later. Wil always liked gardens; they were cheerful, colorful places.

A knock came from the door.

Wil blinked, now who could that be? "Come in," He called, turning onto his side so he was facing the door.

Rath entered, shutting the door behind him, "Are you…all right?" He asked, the slightest bit of concern in his voice.

Wil nodded slowly, "Yeah, I think so. I mean, it's shocking. The whole witch thing came as a big surprise, and now, I'm not even a regular witch…" Wil shook his head, closing his eyes. "It's a tiny bit scary."

Rath leaned against Wil's closed door, "I wouldn't think too much about it. That scroll…it wasn't completely translated. You might not be one of these…keys," Rath said slowly. The whole thing just seemed so unbelievable. Rath had decided that until it was known for a fact whether or not Wil was one of the keys, or if the keys even existed, Rath would chose not to believe it at all.

Wil opened his eyes, "Hey, Rath?" He asked, looking into his teacher's jade eyes.

"Yes?"

"Could I maybe decorate this room a little bit? Like paint the walls or something? I mean, I like the room, but it's just so…white!" Wil grinned sheepishly.

"…Sure," Rath replied. "What do you need?"

Wil thought about it. He'd never decorated a room before…what would he need? "Paint, I guess," He said, finally. Grinning, he confessed, "I've never exactly done anything like this before!" He laughed.

Rath felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips, "Why don't I have Lyn and Florina help you?"

"Lyn and Florina? Who're they?" Wil asked. Hadn't Ninian called the girl with curly orchid hair Florina? He wondered if it was the same girl.

"They're the resident artists of the house…" Rath explained. "…Lyn's element is earth and Florina's is wind, so I suppose they could…give you pointers about your with your magic."

"What's your element?" Wil asked, curious as ever.

"Earth," Rath replied.

"Hey!" Wil sat up on the bed, "That worked out! My element's earth…or at least, one of them is," Wil grinned widely. "You'll be able to teach me all sorts of magic with earth, won't you? I mean, does your element effect what you're able to do? Because it kind of sounds like that and..."

Rath laughed to himself as Wil continued to go on and on about magic and elements. His new student, however odd he might be, was certainly amusing.

"Rath? Hey, Rath? Why are you laughing? Did I mess something up? Rath! Answer me!"

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Chapter 3-End

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… (Pokes chapter) What was the point of that little library scene between Canas, Erk and Nino, anyway? O.o;; I guess I just like that trio, or something like that. Hmmm…or maybe I just did it to make the chapter longer. Speaking of long chapters, I haven't been able to keep a chapter of Something Wicked under ten pages to date! What is this, some kind of a curse? It's draining all the inspiration out of me! Oh well…as long as the chapters come out good, and you all like them, I don't really mind. And everyone who is reading the Matthew/Leila parts and mentally cursing me, don't worry, I don't intend to have much more of that pairing. (Grins evilly) Not much more at all…Guy shall have Matthew to himself soon! (Cackles)

In the next chapter of Something Wicked: Will Legault's plan to break Heath out work? And why exactly is Heath not allowed to leave the apartment in which he's kept prisoner? Will Nino ever have her revenge against her 'Uncle' for leaving without telling her what his business is? Will the authoress ever start ranting about things? No, no she will not.

…You know the drill. Reviews, fanfiction, so on and so forth.


	4. Swimming and Rescues

A/N: Oh…my…God…o.o Is this fic really on that list of most recommended fics in the Fire Emblem section? (All of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, to see the list, go into the Fire Emblem section, then replace the word 'list' in the URL with 'naf'.) Wow…that was a real shock. You guys are the greatest! ::Tackle glomps::

**Scarabsi**: I believe that Leila is pronounced Lay-la…but it might be 'Lila'…hmm…I'm not sure. O.o;;

Disclaimer: See Ammy. See Lawyers. See Lawyers chase Ammy after they find out that she claimed to own Fire Emblem. Run, Ammy, run.

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Something Wicked

Chapter 4

By Amethyst Bubble

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The next day was overcast, dark clouds hung ominously in the grey sky. The air was heavy with the promise of rain. It was humid and sticky, and the buzz of air conditioners was heard all over the house, trying to keep the inhabitants from melting.

Wil sat on the floor of his room, fiddling with the pendulum Rath had given him. Supposedly, wind elements were good with these sorts of things. Wil doubted that. Maybe it was the earth element in him that was interfering with it? After two hours of practice, the only thing he'd been able to do was swing the damn thing back and forth. He wondered, if he kept swinging it back and forth, would he eventually hypnotize himself?

"You are getting sleepy," He said in a flat tone, "Very, very sleepy…"

A sharp knock interrupted his attempt at hypnotism. Putting the pendulum back in the small, velvet pouch Rath had told him to keep it in, Wil rose, quickly crossing the room. When he opened the door, he found two girls standing there.

One had dark green hair, an even darker shade then Rath's, and dancing blue eyes. Her companion was the small girl with orchid hair that had asked Ninian a question during the meeting the other day.

The first girl stuck out her free hand; the other clutched a couple cans of paint. "I'm Lyn," she introduced herself. "And that's Florina," She nodded at the smaller girl. "Rath told you we would help you paint this room, right?"

Wil shook her hand, grinning, "Yep! C'mon in!" He moved to the side, holding the door open for them. Lyn walked in with a confident stride. Florina followed in a much more timid manner, trying to stay half-hidden behind Lyn.

"I-it's v-v-very n-nice to…to meet you," She finished, meekly gazing at Wil from behind Lyn's shoulder.

"Don't mind Florina," Lyn leaned over and whispered to Wil. "She's a bit scared of men. Her older sister told her some pretty nasty things about boys when she was younger. It was meant as a joke, but Florina's been shy around guys ever since."

Wil nodded, "So, I shouldn't make any sudden movements or anything? Because she might react like a wild animal, and run? Kind of like on those documentaries?"

Lyn gave him an odd look, "Err, I guess. Just talk to her nicely and I think you'll be fine." She set the paint cans down. "Wow, this room really is…white." She said. There really wasn't a better word to describe the place. White walls, white ceilings, white pillows and sheets on a white mattress on a white bed. If it wasn't for the wooden floors, the place would have looked like a mental ward without the padded walls.

Florina looked around, taking in the blank room, "You were right to want to paint it…" She said softly.

"We brought a couple different colors," Lyn gestured to the paint cans, kneeling next to them. "We figured that because of your…elements," The word felt foreign on her tongue. She was used to saying element, but it just sounded so strange as a plural. "You'd like different shades of green and…well, wind is sort of invisible, but we brought light blue and…more white, even though I doubt you'll want that." She laughed.

Wil laughed along with her, leaning down and inspecting the paint cans. "Hmm…Hey! I have an idea! Since you brought that green, and some brown, we could paint trees on the walls! And with the blue and white, we could do a sky on the ceiling!" Wil grinned.

Florina blinked, "That would look nice." Fishing around in her pocket, she pulled out a few paintbrushes. Setting them down, she tied her hair into a loose ponytail, making sure it wouldn't be in the way of the paint.

Lyn picked up one of the brushes, opening the paint cans and dipping the brush into one of them. "We should get started, huh?"

Wil nodded, "You two are going to have to show me what to do, though! I've never painted anything before, let alone a room!"

Florina giggled softly, kneeling next to Lyn and dipping her paintbrush into the paint.

--------------

Guy gasped for breath, resurfacing and shaking the water from his dark green hair. He swam towards the edge of the pool [1], resting his back against its wall. Why wasn't this working? Normally a swim would take his mind off of whatever was bothering him. Guy heaved a sigh, quickly dipping his head under water. He brushed his soaked bangs out of his eyes, blinking to clear away the water that dripped into his eyes.

Why was he so bothered by all of this? Matthew and Leila had gone out dozens of times before and it had never bothered him as much as it did now. Something in the back of his mind was nagging at him, making him nervous.

He cast a glance at the three water sprites splashing around at the other end of the pool. He smiled at them; they were cute. Matthew had been a little annoyed with his behavior, lately, the way he always insisted that Matthew take along one of his water sprites on his and Leila's dates. He supposed it could be annoying, having a sprite follow you around everywhere you go, especially if you were on a date. But…he'd been so worried lately, whenever Matthew went anywhere. He just couldn't help it.

"No use getting paranoid," He whispered to himself. He just needed to relax. He was being ridiculous. Matthew was strong, he could take care of himself. If Guy had to worry about anyone, it should be himself. No use getting paranoid at all.

"Hey."

Guy shrieked, whirling around. Upon realizing who it was, the green-haired boy sighed, trying to slow his breathing back to normal. "M-Matthew, please don't sneak up on me like that!"

Amber eyes swirled mischievously as their owner grinned, "Why so jumpy?" He asked, scanning Guy's half-naked form.

The water witch blushed, "Y-you! If you would stop being so damn sneaky…"

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "If you had been paying attention, I wouldn't have been able to sneak up on you," He countered. "Honestly, Guy, I know you can be more observant then that."

Guy frowned, sinking down until he was up to his neck in the cool water. Why did Matthew have to be so impossible? He knew that Guy rarely focused on anything besides the water when he was swimming.

The other dipped a hand into the water, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Trying to stay dry, Guy noted resisting the urge to splash Matthew.

Amber eyes locked with deep blue ones, "Come closer." Matthew ordered, beckoning to Guy.

Slowly, Guy swam forward, somewhat wary of Matthew's request. When he got within arms length of the other witch, Matthew reached out, brushing Guy's damp bangs out of his eyes. "Why have you been hiding all day?"

"I haven't been hiding," Guy mumbled, looking at the water. And even if he had been hiding, what of it? Maybe he just didn't want to deal with the other inhabitants of the house.

"Sure you haven't," Matthew drawled lazily, tugging lightly on Guy's sopping wet braid. How the water element's hair managed to soak up that much water, he'd never know. "You know, I worry about you sometimes."

Amber eyes commanded Guy to look into them, as if they were magnetic. Slowly, Guy looked up, almost flinching as he looked into those swirling golden-orange orbs. "…I do?" He responded, feeling guilty. Why did Matthew always make him feel such unwanted emotions? He absolutely hated feeling guilty.

"You zoned out unexpectedly yesterday…and now, you're distancing yourself from everyone. I think I have the right to be worried," Matthew carefully dragged his fingers through Guy's braid, undoing the silky plait of dark hair. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

Guy felt anger well up inside of him, "You think I'm doing this on purpose?" He almost snarled. "I was tired and upset yesterday, that's why I zoned out, all right? And today…I don't know!"

"Calm down," Matthew soothed, rubbing a lock of green hair between his forefinger and thumb. "It's all right. I just thought you might have been overworking yourself again."

"Well, I'm not," Guy snapped.

Matthew raised one eyebrow, gripping Guy's shoulders and spinning the green-haired boy around until he was facing Guy's back. Slowly, he started re-braiding Guy's hair, "Maybe you should give your water teleportation a rest."

"I can't-"

"Of course you can," Matthew cut him off, separating Guy's hair into three parts.

"But Matthew…" Guy almost whined. "I need to learn this! It's an important skill! A useful piece of magic!"

Matthew rolled his eyes, crossing the right section of hair over the middle, "You can take a week off." He said, repeating the process, this time crossing the left section over the middle.

Guy huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Once again, he just couldn't seem to think of a reply. He knew he should take time off, but he just didn't want to. Matthew had picked up the ability to melt into shadows and travel through solid objects with no trouble. Why was he having so much trouble with the water teleportation? It wasn't that difficult a technique. Nino had mastered it a week after she'd learned of it, and she was a good couple years younger then him.

"Well?" Matthew finished braiding Guy's hair, tying it off. He hesitated to let go of the braid, weighing it in his hands.

"…Fine." Guy muttered darkly.

Matthew grinned triumphantly, "Good." He reluctantly let go of the braid, and it fell, hitting Guy's back and the water with a splash. He got up, stretching.

Guy turned around, gazing at Matthew. "What're you…?" He stopped himself. Of course Matthew was leaving. He had things to do. He didn't have time to hang around while Guy sulked.

Matthew gave him a roguish grin, winking. "I'll be back later, okay?" He promised.

Guy nodded, "Okay."

Matthew walked towards the door, and then he paused, as if a sudden thought had struck him. "In a week, I'm going to be gone for the weekend, okay?"

Guy blinked, surprised. Matthew hadn't mentioned going away before. "Why? Where are you going?"

Matthew hesitated, as if reluctant to tell Guy. "I'm taking Leila to meet my parents," He said finally, gazing at the tiled floor. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to look in those big dark eyes.

"Oh…" Guy murmured. So Matthew was taking Leila to meet his parents. The relationship must be going well, then. Suddenly, he felt like crying. He bit his lip, glad that Matthew wasn't looking at him.

"Yeah…so, I'll…I'll see you later, okay?" Matthew didn't wait for a reply. He walked out, shutting the door behind him with a snap.

Matthew was taking Leila to meet his parents…Guy couldn't get rid of that thought. Why? What did he see in her? Why couldn't Matthew look at him like he looked at her, if only just once?

Suddenly, Guy didn't feel like swimming anymore. He pulled himself out of the water, collapsing on solid ground. He didn't get up. Even if he'd wanted to, he didn't think his legs could possibly hold him up right now.

His hand landed on something soft. Cloth. Looking down he expected to see a towel, but instead his eyes landed on a red cloak. Matthew's cloak. Matthew would never forget his cloak. He must have left it for Guy, all though why he couldn't guess.

As if on instinct, he snatched it up, pressing the soft cloak against his face, reveling in Matthew's scent. He sobbed, trying to blink back the prickling feeling at the corners of his eyes. Then, he couldn't stop himself from crying.

"I'm so stupid." He choked out, burying his face deeper into the cloak.

Tears stained the blood red fabric a deeper shade.

----------------------

"Erk, what does this word mean?" Nino asked, pointing to a rather long word in the middle of page thirteen of the book she was reading.

Erk raised an eyebrow, "Why are you asking me?"

"Because I usually ask Uncle Legault, but he's not here right now so I have to ask you." She replied, grinning ear to ear.

Erk resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall. Oh well, at least she'd mentioned Legault without bursting into tears, or throwing a fit about how he never told her where he was going. That was a good sign…right? He sighed, "Well, does Legault always tell you what words mean?"

Nino frowned, shaking her green head, "No. He always says that he's not a dictionary."

"Well, I'm going to tell you the same thing," Erk replied matter o' factly.

"Awww," Nino whined. "Come on, Erk, please?" She begged, staring up at him with an innocent expression.

Erk shut his eyes tightly. Don't look in her eyes, don't look in her eyes… "Why don't you go ask Canas? He's literally a walking dictionary."

Nino pouted, "But I don't know where Canas is! And you're here already, so why can't you just tell me? Please?"

Erk sighed. He wrenched the book out of Nino's grip, quickly spotting the word she was having trouble with. He read it aloud, and explained what it meant, all the while praying that Legault would get back soon.

---------------------

Heath's eyes strayed to the clock on his wall. Frowning, he looked away, trying to focus his attention on the book in front of him. A few minutes passed. He looked up at the clock again. He bit his lip; where the hell was Legault? He had said he would come tonight, hadn't he?

Sighing, Heath tore his eyes away from the clock. He stared at the page, looking at the words but not taking them in. He couldn't concentrate. He almost wished Commander Vaida or Commander Eubans would storm in and lecture him for no reason at all. At least it would stop him from staring at the clock ever five minutes.

Minutes passed. Nothing happened. Heath closed his eyes and drummed his fingers against his desk.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. What was that? Had that been a crash? Followed by a bang? Commander Vaida was shouting something Heath couldn't make out. Pushing his chair back, Heath ran to the door, trying the handle. No, it was locked. He knew it would be, but he had to try, didn't he? He pushed himself up against the wood, straining to hear what was going on. He could barely hear anything through the heavy door. The voice shouting a string of curses belonged to Commander Vaida, of that he was sure. There were other voices, but they were to quiet for him to make out.

Another crash. Heath winced, that sounded like glass. A door slammed. More banging.

"Heath, where are you?" That was Legault's voice. Heath was nearly overjoyed.

"My room!" He called back.

"Good," Legault shouted. "Stay there!"

"The door's locked, Legault. Where do you think I'm going to go?"

"Just don't climb out a window and I'll be happy."

Heath scowled. You do something stupid once, and you're never forgiven. He leaned heavily against his door, and yelped as it swung open, falling against something soft. Looking up, he realized that that something soft happened to be a very amused Legault. [2]

He blushed, jumping back and steadying himself. Legault chuckled lightly.

"Get your stuff," The witch advised. "Anything you want that you can shove into this." He handed Heath a backpack. "I…borrowed…it from my niece."

Heath didn't need Legault to tell him that. The other man really didn't seem the type to have a blue backpack with an angel wing design on it. Pulling open his drawers, he shoved a couple sets of clothes into the backpack.

Then, carefully, he opened the top drawer, shifting through its contents until he found what he was looking for. A small, black and white photograph. He stared at it for a minute, before carefully placing it in the backpack, careful not to bend it.

Stepping out of his room, he looked around. Shards of a vase lay in the corner, and a knife was stuck in the wall. He raised an eyebrow. "Must have been some struggle."

Legault shrugged, "Not really." He followed Heath's gaze to the knife. "Oh, that guy…Eubans or something, wasn't it? He just tried to stab me, that's all."

Heath sighed. Only Legault could be so calm after some one attempted to stab him.

A sharp banging interrupted his thoughts.

"Heath!" Vaida's voice barked from the hall closet, "Heath! Get over here and let us out!"

Heath blinked, "…You locked them in a closet? Don't you think they'll break out of there?"

Legault shook his head, grinning in a slightly evil manner. "Nope," He gestured to the door and Heath saw that it was wrapped in shadows.

"Oh, right…I forgot you could do that," Heath brushed a strand of white hair behind his ear.

"Heath!" This time it was Eubans who shouted his name, "Get over here boy!"

Legault rolled his eyes, ignoring the shouted commands, "You got your stuff?"

Heath nodded, gesturing to the backpack that dangled off his arm. Legault grinned.

"Then we'll be going," He said, louder then necessary, obviously trying to enrage Vaida and Eubans.

Heath had to try hard not to laugh.

Legault opened the front door, holding it open, "You first."

Heath obeyed, stepping outside. It felt…odd. He hadn't been allowed outside of the apartment for months, not after he'd attempted to escape. He shuddered at the memory, he still had scars from the punishment that had ensued.

Legault raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on Heath's arm, "You okay?" He asked, concern written all over his face.

Heath nodded, "Let's go. I don't want to stay here any longer."

"Perfectly understandable," Legault pushed the down button, waiting for the elevator to come.

Heath opened his mouth, about to say something, then closed it, biting his lip.

"What?" Legault raised an eyebrow, impatiently pushing the button again. He wanted to get out of here as much as Heath did. The energy in this building was just awful.

"Can…can we take the stairs?" Heath asked. He didn't like confined spaces, like elevators. He didn't like them at all. More bad memories.

"It's nine flights of stairs." Legault said flatly, staring at Heath in a 'you got to be kidding me' sort of way.

"Please, Legault?" Heath begged, staring at the elevator doors in a nervous way.

Legault sighed. The things he did… "All right," He gave in and quickly located the stairway.

Heath was quiet during their walk down the stairs, apparently lost in thought. When they reached the lobby, the doorman looked up in surprise.

"Why, Heath," He gave the young man a grin. "I haven't seen you in a while. Your aunt and uncle told me you were sick. Feeling better?"

Legault frowned. Vaida and Eubans had gone around telling everyone they were Heath's aunt and uncle?

"Yes, I'm fine now," Heath answered, giving the doorman a small smile.

"Is it all right for you to be going out so late?" The old man looked concerned. "I understood that your condition was quite fragile."

Heath shook his head, "It was just a nasty case of the flu, that's all."

Legault frown increased. Heath was playing around with this ridiculous little story? Why hadn't he just told someone the truth? Why had he let himself suffer? It would have been easy enough to get help. Legault sighed. Heath mystified him sometimes. He'd just have to drag the answers out of him later, he supposed.

"Besides," Heath's voice broke through his thoughts. "I'm not going alone, am I, Legault?" He cast a grateful glance in the lavender haired man's direction.

Legault shook his head, swinging an arm over Heath's shoulders, "Nope. Let's get going, hmm?"

Heath nodded, waving goodbye to the doorman as he pushed the glass doors of the apartment complex open. He walked outside and down the stairs, then stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Legault asked, wondering what was wrong. Heath was shivering, was he cold? Or overwhelmed? It was a lot to happen in one night. Legault wondered if he should just book a hotel room for the night instead of taking Heath back to the house.

"Nothing," Heath answered, giving him a small, almost shy smile. "It's just…been so long since I've been outside." He cut Legault off as the he opened his mouth to say something. "Clinging to a window ledge contemplating whether to jump is a completely different story, Legault."

Legault smirked as he hailed a taxi, opening the door for Heath and getting in after him. "To the Port Authority," He ordered as he slammed the cab door behind him.

The driver nodded, taking off.

"So, where ya from?" The driver asked, making small talk.

"Jersey," Legault answered simply.

The driver nodded, "Nice place, New Jersey. Not as noisy as the city. I've got family there."

Legault continued the conversation as Heath stared at the window, watching the lights flash by as the cab sped down street after street, on its way to forty-second street.

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Chapter 4-End

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Yes! It's finally finished!(Passes around glasses of sparkling apple cider) You guys have no idea how much trouble I've had with this chapter. My rantings in my LJ don't begin to describe it. This is actually version two. Version one honestly sucked. The first part is the same, but the rest is almost completely different. Heh…and I still haven't told you all why Heath was locked up. Patience, I'll explain eventually…Eventually. XD Nyahahaha!

On another note, I'm leaving for Virginia on Friday. Going to my cousin's wedding. I won't have internet access for the weekend, but I'll be back Sunday night, I think. I'll miss you guys!

[1] I cannot stress this fact enough. The house is HUGE. There are four floors above ground floors and a basement. The ground floor is the kitchen, dining room, library and such. The second and third floors are bedrooms, and the top floor is Hannah, Ninian and Nils' rooms and studies. The basement is specially designed to help in the witches' training, and it has different room for different elements. There's a pool for the water elements, a furnace for the fire elements, and a room with no light for the darkness elements. The wind, earth and light elements use the gardens and backyard for their training.

[2] Legault opened the door with his lockpicks, of course! Once a thief, always so.

Reviews would be appreciated, as would more shonen ai fanfiction. Is it just me, or has there been a lull in good Fire Emblem fanfiction lately?


	5. Completely RomanPlatonic

A/N: (Squeals and huggles her lovely reviewers.) You're all so good to me with your lovely reviews, you wonderful people! I love you all, really I do. You're all so good to me. (Sniffs) And you know what the best part is? Not a single one of you has guessed what's going on with Heath! (Evil grin) Sure, a couple of you have come close…actually, there was one reviewer who came very close, but you still haven't guessed it! I came up with a sub-plot that isn't obvious! Yay!

Disclaimer: (Puts on reading glasses and shuffles papers) Today we have an update on an ongoing story we've been covering. That update is that Amethyst Bubble _still _does not own Fire Emblem. In other news, an elephant escaped from a zoo and terrorized some school children before stealing their lunch money. The elephant then went to a circus and trampled the elephant trainers before gorging himself on circus peanuts.

x x x x x x x x x x x

Something Wicked

Chapter 5

By Amethyst Bubble

x x x x x x x x x x x

Wil wiped droplets of white paint off his cheek, grinning. The room looked considerably different now. He and Lyn had just finished up the second wall and Florina was working on the ceiling. Apparently, she had this power that Wil could only describe as a 'cool levitation thing', which meant that she did not have to stand on the bed, on her tip toes with her arms outstretched to reach the ceiling. Instead, she floated near the ceiling, held up by her wind magic. Wil hoped he could learn to do something like that someday.

Lyn shrieked as a stream of blue paint narrowly missed her, "Florina!" She looked up at the younger girl a bit cautiously, in case more paint was on its way.

"S-sorry!" Florina called back, steadying the paint can dangling off her arm. "I wasn't paying attention!"

Lyn sighed, giving Florina a small smile, "It's all right. Now I know why we covered the floor in newspaper."

Wil frowned, an uncommon expression for him, "Why don't we take a break? We're all pretty tired. We can get a snack and relax, and then we'll finish up, okay?"

Lyn blinked, "That's actually a pretty good idea." She admitted, "What do you think, Florina?"

Florina's feet met solid ground again and she gratefully put down the paint can, "It…sounds like a great idea." She smiled shyly.

Wil grinned, clapping his hands together, "Then it's settled!"

A few minutes later, after scrubbing as much paint off their hands and faces as they could, the three walked downstairs and passed through the living room on their way to the kitchen.

"Look, it's a walking Picasso!" Farina called out as they passed. Fiora blinked, closing her laptop and swiveling around to see what her sister was talking about.

"Florina!" She exclaimed, rushing over to her sister, "You're covered in paint!"

"Yes," Florina murmured, "Lyn and I were helping W-Wil paint his room."

Fiora frowned, placing her hands on her hips, "Is it healthy to be covered in that much paint? There aren't any dangerous chemicals in it, is there? It's one thing for it to be on the walls but for it to be all over you, that's a whole other story!"

Florina blushed, "Sister, it's okay, really. I'll wash it off as soon as we're done, okay?"

Lyn and Wil watched in amusement. Suddenly, the brunette felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, spinning around only to meet the jade green eyes of his teacher.

"I take it the room is going well?" Rath raised an eyebrow at Wil's paint-stained clothing. Wil nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep, it's going great! The room looks so cool, because we're doing this pattern of trees on the wall and clouds on the sky and I think it looks really neat! We've still got a wall or two to go, though, but we got tired so we're taking a break and then we're going to finish! You should help us; I bet you'd have a lot of fun! But…" Wil paused, glancing up at Rath. "You probably have more important things to do, huh?"

Rath felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He reached over, brushing a bit of paint off Wil's cheek, "…How is your divining coming?"

Wil blinked, "Oh, you mean the pendulum? Well, I'm not that great with it. I was going to see if I could hypnotize myself with it, but then Lyn and Florina came and I didn't get a chance to see if I could. Oh! But I did but the pendulum back in the pouch you told me to keep it in! Yep, I remembered that!"

Rath watched his new student ramble on, jumping from one subject to another in a seemingly endless rant. Wil certainly could talk, couldn't he? He must have some lungs. He probably was a pretty decent kisser, too. Rath shook his head. That line of thought was going to stop right there. He would not think of his student in that sort of way. After all, his feelings for Wil were completely platonic. Yes, completely roman-…platonic.

Across the room from the chattering brunette and his teacher who just happened to be in complete denial about his feelings for the younger boy sat Serra. From where she was 'entertaining' Raven and Lucius with her own special brand of intellectual conversation, the pink haired girl narrowed her eyes. So, her suspicions about the new witch had been correct. Her title as the talkative one was in danger. Fiddling with a pigtail, Serra continued to ramble on in an attempt to drown out Wil's voice with her own.

"Raven, dearest, please stop glaring at Serra like you want to murder her. It isn't very nice," Lucius whispered, placing a hand over Raven's.

"But I do want to murder her!" Raven hissed back, taking Lucius' pale hand in his own.

The blonde had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, "Raven, if you stop trying to make Serra explode into flames with your glare…I'll make it worth your while." Lucius scooted a bit closer to the red haired man.

Raven raised an eyebrow. Had Lucius just hinted at what he thought he hinted at? His sweet, innocent Lucius?

"So?" Lucius asked, awaiting his answer with what Raven could only guess was Lucius' version of a rather devious smile.

"…Fine," Raven bit out, casting one final glare at Serra, who continued to ramble about powdered wigs and poodles, or something all fluffy like that.

Lucius wore what could have been a victorious grin, but this was Lucius, so it was more of a happy smile sort of expression. "Thank you, Raven."

Raven muttered something under his breath about 'damn cute blondes' and 'annoying pink haired demons from hell' but Lucius wisely ignored him, occasionally making polite noises at Serra's rants.

x x x x x x x x x x

"Damn it all," Eubans cursed, finally having managed to break the closet door down. "The bastard's taken Heath. This won't do at all."

Vaida was quiet as she observed the damage the living room had taken in the struggle. She frowned when she saw the knife in the wall; did Eubans really have to be so careless? The resulting hole was going to take some explaining to the repair man, and that was always so awkward. You really couldn't just go to the repair man, 'Oh, we need you to fix this hole in the wall that we got when Eubans stabbed it with a knife. He wasn't really trying to stab the wall. He was trying to stab the intruder who kidnapped the boy we've been keeping locked up in here. Oh, and there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for that too, if you've got the time…' Vaida sighed, rubbing her forehead. All of this was resulting in a migraine.

"Some of Heath's clothes are gone," Eubans announced, stepping out of their former captive's room.

"Well, he obviously knew the man," Vaida said. "And he was more then willing to go with him."

"So, he doesn't want him for the same reasons we do," Eubans almost smirked. He wondered if the lavender-haired man even knew why they'd been so intent on having Heath? Probably not. He wasn't even sure that Heath knew the entire reason.

"I'm going to go talk to the doorman," Vaida announced, reaching for the set of keys that lay on a countertop. "If Heath left, the doorman must have seen something."

Eubans made a noise of acknowledgement, waving her on before disappearing into Heath's room for more investigation.

A few minutes later, Vaida found herself standing in front of the doorman.

"Oh, hello Ms. Vaida," He greeted, smiling. "Going out? Perhaps to fetch your nephew?"

So he had seen Heath on his way out… "Heath went out tonight, didn't he? About twenty minutes ago?" She asked, even though she knew from his previous comment.

"Yes ma'am," He answered.

"Was he with a man?"

The doorman scratched his chin, as if trying to remember. Vaida frowned, it was twenty minutes ago! How could he have to think about something that happened such a short time ago?

"You know, ma'am, I think he was," The doorman answered. "He had long hair too, a most unusual shade. A light purple-ish color." He grinned, proud of remembering the details.

Vaida nodded to herself, that was definitely the man who had taken Heath. The man looked at her, as if confused by her sudden silence. Vaida mentally slapped herself. The blonde woman searched for something to say that would not incriminate her and Eubans. Remembering the aunt act she'd been using in public, she quickly put on a worried face, "Oh no, this is terrible!" She covered her face with her hands, partially so he couldn't read the traces of lies in her eyes.

The door man looked confused, "Why is that ma'am? Is he still not well enough to be outside?" He asked, thinking that Heath had looked a bit pale. Then again, being cooped up with a cold will do that to a young man.

Vaida slowly with drew her hands, mentally telling herself to keep that worried face on, no matter how much doing so disgusted her. "It's just that," She took a breath, as if on the verge of tears. "That man he was with. I don't know who he is. I fear that maybe he's kidnapped Heath. He was just so violent when he came to the door, and Heath looked scared when he left…of course, I didn't think much of it at the time, but there's this nagging feeling."

The doorman's eyes widened. And that man had looked so nice, too! Heath hadn't seemed afraid to him, he'd seemed very happy, actually. But maybe that's how that man was telling him to act... He'd heard about stuff like this on the News. "Should I call the police, ma'am?"

Vaida shook her head, eyes widening. The last thing she and Eubans' needed was the police getting involved. The police investigating would bring nothing but trouble. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. "Not yet," She said. "I don't know anything yet. He might actually be a nice person." She said, taking a few steps backwards.

"Well," the doorman called as she pressed the button for the elevator. "I hope everything turns out fine!"

x x x x x x x x x x x x

Stepping out of the taxi, Legault dug around for some money to pay the cab driver. Heath stood close to him, acting nervous. He looked around, at the tall buildings and all the bustling people. Heath hadn't been among this many people in ages. Finally producing the money, Legault handed it to the man and bid him goodnight.

"Legault?" Heath's voice was quiet. "Where are we going?"

"I told you," Legault smiled. "New Jersey. That's where I live." He wrapped a hand around Heath's wrist more out of instinct then anything else. Heath hadn't been outside in ages, and not around other people. The Port Authority could be strange at night. Homeless people sometimes littered the building, although not as much as they had years ago. Heath scowled at the close contact, but didn't pull his hand away.

"I know that much," The green-haired male answered. "But not anything else. Tell me about it, Legault. The place where you live." There was curiosity in the younger man's eyes.

Legault smiled, conjuring up an image in his mind as he pushed open one of the doors and held it open for Heath, as a gentleman should. Heath rolled his eyes at the Legault's 'gentlemanly' behavior. "Well, it's a large house. More like a mansion, really. God knows how much Pent and Louise spent on it. They're the ones who own the house, really. You see, I live in a house with about…I don't know, maybe two dozen other witches."

"That's a lot," Heath commented.

Legault nodded.

"Could you tell me about some of them?" Heath asked, looking up at Legault with curiosity filled amethyst eyes.

Legault smirked, "You'll meet them soon enough." Quickly locating the right bus, they made it to the platform minutes before their bus left.

Heath stared out the window, seemingly taking delight at watching the scenery as the bus rolled down the road. It was nighttime, but with the lights of New York, almost everything was still visible.

"You know, I still don't know why Vaida and Eubans locked you up," Legault said, eyeing Heath. He was curious. In all the time he'd known Heath, he'd never heard him talk about his current situation, or even his childhood.

Heath was silent for a moment, before he looked at Legault, "I don't know much." He said in a guilty sort of way, giving Legault a sad smile. "Don't even bother asking about my childhood, either. I don't remember." He said, almost as if he could read Legault's thoughts.

Legault blinked, "You don't?"

"Well," Heath shook his head. "Not much. I remember one or two things. And it's not like those cases of Amnesia you hear about. I remember my birthday, my name, my mother's name…I know all of that. I just don't remember memories."

"So, you can remember information, but not memories?" Legault asked, trying to clarify this for himself.

Heath nodded.

"How far back do you remember?"

Amethyst eyes blinked, and then slid shut. It was several minutes before Heath answered, "About five years ago, I think. I was already living with Vaida and Eubans but things weren't as bad. Even then, everything a little fuzzy," Heath's eyes opened and he stared at blankly at the back of the seat in front of him. "The most detail I remember from my past is when I met you." A slight smile, and then a blush, "Don't get any funny ideas. I love you, Legault, but I'm not about to turn into some kind of house-wife." He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back.

Legault chuckled lightly, "I don't expect you to, Heath." He leant forward, giving Heath a small kiss on the cheek. "I just want you to be happy."

Heath turned a bright shade of crimson, stuttering something Legault couldn't quite catch.

"What was that?" Legault raised an eyebrow.

Heath looked away, turning back to the window. "…I am happy. Happier then I've been in a while."

x x x x x x x x x x x

After Wil, Lyn and Florina had gone back upstairs, Rath had decided to decline Wil's offer (politely, of course) to go down to the basement. He'd originally wanted to look for some reading material, but found himself drawn to the pool. Opening the door, he saw why. His cousin, on the floor, clutching a piece of red material that looked suspiciously like Matthew's cloak.

Taking a few steps forward, Rath noted that it was indeed Matthew's cloak. He thought that Guy might have gone into one of his spells, but his water sprites were calm. Whenever Guy spaced out, they usually went wild, trying their best to wake their master. Kneeling besides the younger boy, Rath discovered that he was only asleep.

Slowly, he shook Guy by the shoulder.

After a moment, Guy opened his eyes, sitting up. "Rath…?" He blinked, looking at his cousin.

Rath kept a hand on Guy's shoulder as if to study him, "What…are you doing here?" He asked.

Guy's hands clenched around the material of Matthew's cloak and he lowered his eyes to the ground. Why did Rath have to ask that? Couldn't he just go on dreaming his nice little fantasy? He couldn't, wouldn't think of forcing Matthew to love him, but still…it was nice to dream. It was so very nice to dream. "I was swimming," He said.

Rath stared at him hard. "And you just fell asleep?"

The younger hugged the red material to his chest as if it were a lifeline. And maybe it was… "Matthew came down here."

Rath was silent. He knew of his cousin's infatuation with the sandy-haired man. He didn't approve of it, though. It wasn't good for Guy to chase after someone who was oblivious to his feelings. Especially since Matthew had a girlfriend. A serious girlfriend, from what Rath understood. He didn't like the way Matthew strung Guy along, even if he didn't realize he was doing it.

"He said he's taking Leila to meet his parents next weekend," Guy's voice trembled. He bit his lip, tilting his head down so his dark bangs affectively overshadowed his eyes. He didn't want to be seen crying. He didn't want to cry. "This is all so stupid," He choked, hugging the object of his affection's cloak tighter.

Rath sighed, giving the other a some what reluctant one armed hug. "Why don't you find someone else?" He asked, even though he knew it was a stupid question. Guy was in love with Matthew. And that was that.

"Like who?" Guy sniffed. Someone other then Matthew? He just couldn't do that…even if Matthew rejected him time and time again… He took a shaky breath, he wouldn't think about that. It just hurt too much.

The elder thought, "What about…Priscilla? She's nice, and she likes you." Priscilla was nice. A bit shy, and there was always a chance that her older brother might try to kill anyone who tried to get close to her romantically, but that was a slim chance. Lucius seemed to prevent most of those little incidents with a few well chosen words and a sad look.

Guy shrugged, "She's nice, I guess. And pretty. But…" A deep breath, "I'm not in love with her."

"You're in love with him." Rath could not keep the disapproving tone after of his voice.

A nod, and then… "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't I fall in love with someone who loved me back? Why did I have to fall in love with him? I hated him at first. Absolutely despised him. And then, I found myself thinking about him more and more. We became friends. A-and …I fell in love with him. I-I couldn't help it. I knew he had a girlfriend. I knew he didn't feel that way about me. He's never going to feel that way about me," Guy whispered the last part, furiously swiping at the tears that fell down his cheeks. "I'm going to love him forever and he's not going to give me a second glance."

"…You don't know that," Rath found himself saying. He stroked his cousin's hair. He wished Guy could get over it. For awhile, he hoped it was only a silly crush. He thought Guy would get over it eventually. But Guy hadn't.

"C'mon, Rath…why would he love me when he's got Leila? She's gorgeous, she's talented…she's everything that I'm not. He'll never pick me over her. Not in a million years." Guy felt like screaming. Screaming and crying and throwing a fit like a little kid. That wouldn't change anything, though. Being childish would change absolutely nothing.

It was true, he thought bitterly as Rath said something Guy didn't bother to hear. Matthew wouldn't pick him over Leila.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

The teal-haired woman's concentration was broken when the doorbell rang. Fiora grumbled to herself about solicitors, closing her computer for what had to be the _fifth time that night_! Storming over, she pulled open the door, preparing to yell at some salesman before slamming the door in his face.

Instead she met a tall lavender haired man and his companion, a fidgeting green haired figure.

"Legault?" She asked, surprised. Stepping back from the doorway, she allowed the two entry, with a curious glance at the green haired man. She didn't recognize him, "Excuse me for being impolite, but who exactly are you?"

"Ah!" Heath flushed, fidgeting even more then he had before. Damn it, this was awkward. "I'm Heath, I don't know if Legault's said anything about me, but…"

Farina interrupted from her spot on the couch, currently snooping through her sister's files, "Ah, the famous Heath. Very cute, just like I imagined!" She winked.

Heath turned crimson, shooting a glare at Legault. What exactly had Legault said about him, eh?

Legault smacked a hand to his forehead, "I didn't say anything about you Heath." He stated, reading the other's glare. "And certainly not to that money-grubbing gossiper." A pointed glance was sent Farina's way.

The girl pretended not to hear, getting up and circling Heath, before standing back, rocking slightly on her heels, "Yep, definitely cute."

"If you didn't say anything about me, how the hell does she know?" Heath hissed, looking ready to throttle Legault.

The other man shrugged.

Fiora sighed, "Please forgive my sister. I fear she's been listening to private conversations, going through other people's things, snooping in other people's computers, things like that…" Farina whistled in an innocent manner. "In short hand, she's almost as bad as Serra." Fiora finished, brushing a few strands of her hair out of her face. What had she ever done to deserve a sister like Farina?

Legault cleared his throat, placing a hand on Heath's shoulder, "This is Heath. He'll be staying here from now on. Tell Ninian or Pent or someone…I don't care who. Tell them he'll be staying in my room, so there's no need to make space."

"WHAT?" Heath shrieked, turning crimson. Staying in a room with Legault? Legault was a pervert. A complete and total pervert. This was not going to be good for his mental health.

"You don't want to?"

"N-no! I mean, it's not that, it's just that....that…that…."

"That?"

"…Oh, fine, you win." Heath threw his hands up in defeat. Goodbye mental health.

Legault grinned, "Good. Let's get going," Grabbing Heath's hand much to the embarrassment of the green-haired man, he started to lead him away.

"Legault! Wait!" Fiora shouted after his retreating figure. "What am I supposed to tell everyone, eh? You brought some guy home?"

The lavender haired man was already gone down on of the many hallways.

Fiora let out a long sigh, collapsing onto the sofa. Was she the only responsible one here? Now, really, how could you just show up after a couple days of absence with no warning? And to bring some guy home with you? This house was getting to be too much for her. Her sister's next comment really didn't help.

"How long do you think it'll be before they're as sappy as Lucius and Raven? Speaking of those two, am I the only one who hears wedding bells a' ringing?"

Farina was silenced when a pillow hit her square in the face.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

Matthew descended the stairs to the basement, worried. He hadn't seen Guy since the last time he'd gone down to the pool. He couldn't be that upset, could he? Matthew didn't know why Guy disliked Leila so much. He wished that his best friend and girlfriend could get along, but maybe that way too much to ask…? His train of thought was cut off when he saw two figures leave the pool room.

Rath and Guy. An upset looking Guy clutching at the cloak he'd left down there.

Why he'd left his cloak in the first place, Matthew didn't know. It just felt like the right thing to do. Obviously, it had been.

Matthew found himself rooted to the spot as the two came closer. Guy's eyes slowly lifted from the floor. Matthew was surprised at how tired he looked. Was this…his fault? Had he caused Guy this much pain? He didn't want to cause the younger teen pain. He wanted Guy to be happy. He always wanted Guy to be happy.

"Matthew…?"

Finally finding himself able to move again, Matthew walked up to Guy, placing a hand on the other's shoulder, "Are you all right?" He asked, brushing away a few strands of still wet hair. How Guy's hair managed to stay wet for so long, Matthew would never know.

Guy smiled sadly, holding out Matthew's cloak, "Sorry. It's damp now."

Was it just his imagination, or did Guy seem reluctant to let go of the cloak? Shaking his head, Matthew pushed it back towards Guy. He could reclaim it later. Right now, there were more important issues at hand. A very upset looking green-haired teen being the main.

Matthew suddenly realized that Guy's eyes were red-rimmed. Had he been crying?

Rath had disappeared some moments ago but neither noticed that.

"What's wrong?" Matthew asked, resisting the urge to hug Guy. He just looked so miserable… "Have you been crying?" He asked.

Guy paused, and then nodded slightly, averting Matthew's gaze. Why was Matthew here? He was pretty sure the last thing he needed was for Matthew to find out the reason he'd been so upset.

Matthew cursed under his breath. He hated it when Guy got that look on his face. He had only seen Guy upset a few times, and he never wanted to see him miserable ever again. He'd seen Guy cry only once before. He couldn't remember the exact reason that had caused the younger boy so much grief, but he was sure he'd been the cause. He hadn't hugged Guy then. He hadn't held him and tried to make him feel better. He'd simply watched him silently cry. It had hurt and Matthew had tried to pretend it didn't. He wasn't friends with the younger at that time.

Guy still hadn't looked up from the ground, but Matthew was sure he heard the other's breath hitch in an attempt to hold in a sob.

To hell with it all. Matthew reached over, yanking Guy against him. Encircling his arms around the teen, he began rocking back and forth, murmuring gentle nonsense.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Guy reached up to wrap his arms around Matthew's neck. He stood on tiptoes in an attempt to bury his face in Matthew's shoulder, but he couldn't quite reach. Matthew almost smiled; Guy was so petite…

Sinking down carefully so as not to make Guy uncomfortable, Matthew kneeled on the cold stone floor. Guy was clinging to him tightly now, as if nothing else mattered.

To Guy, nothing else did. Matthew was holding him. He didn't want this to ever end.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Rath!" Wil exclaimed, wiping droplets of paint of his cheek, "You came to help us after all!"

Somehow, his student's bright smile managed to erase the solemn mood his cousin's tears had brought on him. Rath nodded, walking over to Wil.

Lyn gave the arrival a small nod and a smile and Florina 'meep'ed in greeting.

Acting on an urge, Wil gave his teacher a hug. He blushed furiously while doing, for some reason Rath made him feel kind of warm inside. He blamed it on the paint fumes. Shrugging it off, he reluctantly let go of the elder man and handed him a paintbrush.

Rath stared blankly at the tool in his hand. "…What do I do with this?"

"You paint, silly!" Wil giggled. "You dip it into the paint," He demonstrated. "And then you spread it on the wall!" Tapping a paint stained finger to his chin and getting a smudge of green there. Rath leaned over and wiped away the paint that stained Wil's skin. Blushing, Wil said, "You should help Florina with the ceiling."

A small stream of white paint acknowledged that Florina had heard this.

"Sorry!" She apologized again, trying to get a better hold on the heavy can dangling from her slender fingers. Rath sighed, reaching over and taking it from her.

"O-oh!" She stuttered, looking like a timid mouse that's just been giving a piece of cheese. "T-thank you!"

Rath shrugged, dipping the brush into the paint and preparing to help the small girl.

x x x x x x x x x x x

Chapter 5- End

x x x x x x x x x x x

Sorry for the wait. So very, very sorry for the wait. Please, don't throw rotten fruit at me. It won't help my self-esteem. Reviews would, though. XD But, seriously, I really am sorry. I hadn't meant to take this long. I just kind of fell into a state where I couldn't write anything at all.

If this chapter seems a little choppy, please forgive me. Most of it was written by a very tired, sick with a cold me at 3:30 in the morning. I've tried to patch it up a bit, but...well, I'm not sure how good a job I did. I'm still sick and might not be able to write as well as I usually do...

Review, please. The pretty purple button demands you press it! And… (Whimpers) There's been a shortage of Fire Emblem fanfiction lately. So… (HintHint)


	6. Healing and Scars

A/N: …I don't think I have much to say. I love you all, my lovely, lovely reviewers. Look how many review this fic has! Close to fifty! I only got three for the first chapter, and I never expected to get this many reviews! Or for this fic to end up on the naf list-y thing! It's come so far… (Sniff) I'm so proud… (Sob)

…Alright, alright, I'll get on with the fic already! Yeesh…

Disclaimer: As much as I wish, I do not own Fire Emblem. Of course, if some one were to _give _me Fire Emblem, I wouldn't refuse. Hint Nudge Wink.

(Note: ARRGHH! isn't saving my dashes when I upload! (Is very mad about this) I miss my dashes....Hmph.)

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Something Wicked

Chapter Six

By Amethyst Bubble

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"WHAT?" Nino shrieked, abandoning the piece of toast she'd been nibbling on moments ago.

Wil looked up from his own breakfast, blinking questioning brown eyes at the younger girl's outburst. He hadn't really been listening to the conversation. He'd been too involved in other things. Nino's shouts had distracted him from his 'Rath Watching' activities.

Fiora took a sip of her tea, smoothing back her hair, "Well, yes, Legault got back last night…I take it you didn't know then, Nino?" Just a hint of annoyance could be heard in her voice. Legault's rather irresponsible behavior (disappearing for three days, bringing back some man none of the rest of them had ever seen before, and then expecting her to inform everyone? The nerve!) was obviously ticking her off a bit.

"Uncle Legault got back last night?" Nino pushed her chair back, leaning forward across the table until she was nearly nose to nose with Fiora.

Fiora blinked, looking up from her tea and into the bright blue eyes of the young water witch. "…Yes."

In the time it would take to say 'abra cadabra', Nino was gone, leaving only a piece of half eaten toast and a empty glass with traces of orange juice to prove that she was ever there at all.

Wil blinked again, then shrugged. He was beginning to get used to the sudden appearances and disappearances, whether they be magic or not. Taking a bite of his own toast, he chewed and swallowed before turning to look at the occupant of the seat next to him. Who so happened to his teacher. Who happened to look a little ruffled (he had obviously yet to comb his hair, and had temporarily abandoned the bandana) but still very, very handsome. Wil blushed, mentally smacking himself. He would not think like that! Repeat, would not!

Rath, finally noticing that his student was staring at him, raised an eyebrow, "…Wil?"

The auburn haired boy yelped, turning an even brighter shade of red, "N-nothing! I just wanted to thank you for all your help with my room last night! It got done a lot faster because of you, and you probably had all sorts of different, more important type things to do with your time, but you helped us anyway! So, well, thanks! That all I wanted to say, really!" He finished, laughing nervously.

"…Ah," Rath said with a nod, going back to his breakfast.

Wil blinked again. Rath was being quiet, even more so then usual. Maybe he wasn't a morning person? Going back to his toast, a thought crossed Wil's mind. He really didn't know much about Rath. Maybe he'd ask him some things later on, if Rath didn't mind, of course.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Second floor, first hallway to the right, fifth door to the left. Nino had the location of Legault's room memorized. Quickly finding her way to the right room, she quietly turned the doorknob.

She took a step inside, shutting the door behind her as quietly as she had opened it. She could be quite stealthy when she wanted to be.

Creeping forward another few steps, she suddenly paused. Something wasn't quite right. The drapes over the windows were the same, the furniture hadn't changed, and the mirror was exactly where it always was. So what was it?

Blue eyes fell upon the bed and Nino realized exactly what it was that was out of place. Instead of one figure on the bed, there were two. Luckily, both figures were clothed. She didn't know what she would do if they weren't. Scream like hell, she supposed.

Her uncle Legault was one of the figures; she'd recognize that lavender hair any day. She'd never seen the other person before, though. She'd remember if she'd ever seen someone with hair quite like that. Dark green hair with a streak of white. How unusual.

She wondered if she should leave. It would be rude to wake up the other person just because she wanted to lecture her uncle. Maybe she could get Legault up without waking the other? No, Legault slept like a log. She usually had to yell in his ear to get him up on the best of days.

Nino decided she could wait a while until they woke up, and then she would get her chance to yell at her uncle for his disappearance.

She took a step backwards, before cringing. The creaking floorboard! She had forgotten all about that one!

The stranger's eyes flew open and he sat up, looking shocked and more then a little frightened as he looked around the room and then finally, at Nino.

_Well, so much for not waking him up_, Nino thought as she quickly put on a wide grin, "Hi! I'm Nino, Legault's niece! I'm sorry for waking you up, I honestly hadn't meant to!" She apologized, walking around the bed to the side where her uncle slept. Seeing as she'd accidentally woken the stranger, she had no reason not to wake Legault up as well.

Relaxing a bit, the green haired man gave her a tiny smile, "Legault told me about you. I'm Heath," He introduced himself, relinquishing the tight grip he'd had on the sheets a moment ago.

Grinning impishly, Nino loomed over her uncle, "You don't mind if I wake him up, do you?" She shot a questioning glance at Heath.

Shaking his head, Heath watched with mild curiosity as the girl's grin widened.

"Uncle Legault," She called, tugging none too gently on a strand of lavender hair. "Uncle Legault, it's time to get up."

Legault reply was to roll onto his side, grab a pillow and place it over his head.

Heath blinked, "I think you might have trouble getting him up." He said, leaning over, gently shoving the sleeping witch, "Legault…"

Nino scowled, crossing her arms across her chest. There was one sure way to wake Legault up, but was she feeling malicious enough to do it? Remembering that he'd left and hadn't told her a thing, she decided that yes, yes she was feeling malicious enough to use it.

"Can you take that pillow away from him?" She asked Heath, gesturing to the fluffy object covering Legault's head.

"…Sure," Heath said after a moment's hesitation. He didn't know what the little girl was planning, but his curiosity had been sparked.

Getting the pillow away from Legault turned out to be quite a struggle. The witch had a pretty strong grip, even in his unconscious state. Finally, Heath managed to tug the object out of Legault's grasp.

Nino nodded her thanks before closing her eyes and concentrating. When she opened her eyes, she found a small orb of water in her hand. She would have clapped her hands together in delight, but that would have completely ruined her plan. So she settled for a slightly wicked grin instead.

She leaned over Legault and promptly dropped the water orb.

The result was a soaked, annoyed, but, most importantly, awake Legault.

"Nino," He brushed a few strands of soaked lavender hair out of his eyes. "What have I said about doing that?" He asked, his voice containing slight hints of annoyance.

"That it makes you want to toss me off of the roof," The girl replied, still smiling brightly. "But that doesn't matter, because I know you wouldn't do it. Good morning, Uncle Legault!" She hopped on to the bed, folding her legs under her.

Legault let out a long sigh, grabbing another pillow and throwing it at Heath, who was desperately trying to stifle the fit of laughter that had been brought on when Nino had dropped the water orb. "I wish I could say the same."

Suddenly, Nino's bright smile turned into a threatening look, "Care to tell me where you've been for the past couple days, dearest uncle?" She asked in an all too innocent tone, drawing circles on the sheets with her forefinger.

Sighing again, Legault grabbed Heath's arm, dragging the other closer to him. "With him," He replied curtly, nodding at Heath.

Heath turned bright red as Legault wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "Legault…" He said warningly, shooting a glare at the lavender haired man.

"And what were you doing?" Nino asked, raising one eyebrow.

Raising a hand to stroke Heath's sleep-mussed hair and ignoring the glare it earned him from the other, Legault casually replied, "I was on a rescue mission of sorts."

"But Ninian didn't have a clue as to where you were!" Nino glared. She wished Legault wouldn't be so secretive. It made it so much harder to get information out of him.

"Ninian didn't give me this mission."

Heath looked from Legault, to Nino, slightly confused. Legault hadn't told Nino where he had been over the past few days? And who was Ninian? He was glad that Legault wasn't giving Nino the full story, but his vague answers were obviously annoying the girl.

Suddenly, Heath found a pair of bright blue eyes staring at him intently, "What kind of witch are you, anyway?"

"I-I…" Heath stuttered, not really sure how to answer.

Luckily, Legault came to his rescue once again, "That's none of your concern Nino."

"Awww!" The green-haired girl folded her arms over her chest, pouting, "No one ever tells me anything! It's so unfair!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Rath?"

The earth witch looked up to find his student staring at him intently. Closing the book he had been looking at, Rath locked his eyes with Wil's warm brown ones. "…What is it?"

"Do you mind if I ask you some questions about you before we start our lesson?" Wil grinned, propping his chin up on his palms.

Rath blinked. Wil sure was an odd one…a cute, odd one. He shook his head in a mad attempt to clear those thoughts out of his head.

"Err, Rath?" Wil blinked, looking at his teacher with a confused look. "Rath? Are you okay? Earth to Raaaath?"

"It's…nothing," Rath said, brushing a few of his bangs out of his eyes. "It's fine to ask me questions, if you want."

Wil grinned, "Yay! Umm, okay then…" He tapped a finger to his lips, thinking. "…What's you favorite color?"

"…Color?" Rath raised an eyebrow. Why would Wil ask him such an insignificant question?

"Yep, what's your favorite one?" Wil asked, staring at his teacher intently, "Unless, of course, you don't want to answer. Because that's perfectly all right! If you don't want to tell me, you don't have! I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything like that, but I was just curious to learn some things about you, and you said I could ask, so I did! But you don't have to answer or anything like-"

"Brown."

"-That so it's…Err, umm…brown?"

Rath nodded, "Yes."

Wil frowned, "Why would you pick brown? It's such a dull color! I mean, there are about a gazillion other colors that out shine it, like blue, or indigo, or yellow or…" He eyed his teacher's hair, "Green." He paused, he'd never really appreciated green before. It was just…there. Grass was green, trees were green, but green didn't _mean _anything. But now…green was fast becoming his favorite color. That beautiful shade of forest green. "But brown's just so _dull_!" Wil finished, tearing his eyes away from his teacher.

Smiling slightly, Rath slipped his fingers under Wil's chin, forcing the younger to look at him, "Brown is anything but dull." He whispered, gazing into Wil's warm chocolate eyes.

"Ehh?" Wil blinked, blushing slightly at how close his teacher was to him.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, Rath removed his hand from Wil's face, "Shall we get started?"

"Uh…umm…Oh, yeah! Right, right!" Wil nodded, "Yeah, let's."

"We're…going to have our lesson outside today," Rath said, getting up and quickly crossing the room.

"Outside?" Wil echoed, following Rath closely. "Why would we have it outside? I mean, it's a nice day and all, and I don't have any problems with having it outside, I'm just wondering why is all."

"Why do you think?" Rath asked, glancing down at Wil. He was curious to see if Wil could guess the reason. It was a simple one, really.

Wil blinked, "Umm…I don't know." He bit his bottom lip, searching for an answer. "Is it because of my elements? 'Cause you can find both wind and earth outside? Is that the reason? Because if it isn't, I really can't figure out why and-"

Rath shook his head, cutting Wil off mid-rant, "No. You are correct."

"…I am?" Wil blinked. He hadn't expected to answer that question correctly. "Really, Rath?"

In spite of himself, Rath smiled slightly, "Yes."

"Yay! I got something right! Does this mean I'm doing better, Rath? Because I totally failed at that pendulum thing! I just don't see what it's supposed to do! I mean, I keep swinging back and forth like you told me to, but nothing happens. Just swing, swing, swing…over and over again."

"Did you bring it with you?" Rath asked abruptly, stopping and looking down at Wil.

"…Huh?"

"…The pendulum, Wil."

Wil blinked, before a look of horror crossed over his normally cheerful face, "Oh, no, I completely forgot about it! It's still in my room! Wait right here, I'll go get it!"

Rath opened his mouth to ask Wil if he was sure he wouldn't get lost, but the brunette was already gone disappeared down the hallway.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Legault, are we lost?" Heath glanced over at his companion, raising one eyebrow.

Legault sighed, "No. Well, we're not exactly _lost_. I wouldn't go so far as to say that…"

Heath sighed. "We are lost, aren't we? I thought you lived here! Shouldn't you know your way around?" He placed his hands on his hips, glaring up at the slightly taller man.

"I do, just…not in this part of the house."

The look that the green haired male wore stated that Legault had better explain, or else.

"I don't visit Ninian often. I rarely ever have to find my way up to the attic." Legault explained, looking around. There was a staircase somewhere on the third floor that led up to the attic. It was hidden, so one had to know where to look. "It's around here somewhere, I know that much…"

"We could go and ask some one, you know…" Heath sighed.

Legault didn't reply. He walked up to the wall, placing his hand on its smooth surface.

Heath ran a hand through his slightly unruly hair. This was going to take a while, he just knew it.

Suddenly, something collided, with him, nearly knocking him over. Heath looked to down to find a younger boy with reddish brown hair staring up at him.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" The boy apologized, taking a step back. "I didn't see you there! I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been running so fast, but Rath's waiting for me and I don't want to make him wait too long, we have to get our lesson started, after all! Sorry again!" He said, before stepping around Heath and taking off down the hall.

"Who was that?" Heath asked Legault, who was smirking, slightly amused by the literal run in.

"I don't know," Legault answered, turning back to the wall. "He must be new… and judging by what I caught of his awfully long apology, he must be Rath's new student." He traced a crack in the wall with his fingers, "So, they finally found Rath a student…I didn't think they ever would."

"What do you mean?" Heath blinked.

Legault didn't answer. Looking at the wall that the lavender-haired man had previously been working on, Heath realized why. A passageway had opened up, and a small, rickety looking staircase led upstairs.

"So you found it after all," Heath observed, taking a step forward to get a better view of the passageway.

Legault stepped back, ushering Heath forward, "You first," He said with a smirk.

Heath glared, placing a hand on the banister and slowly making his way up.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Guy." A gentle voice broke the still atmosphere and the braided teenager looked up to meet the kind eyes of a blonde woman.

"Yes, Lady Louise?" Guy asked his teacher of sorts. Seeing as he'd grown up in a family of witches, he didn't really need a teacher to show him the magical arts, but Louise helped him anyway.

"How is it going?" She asked softly, kneeling next to Guy on the floor.

He shook his head, "I just can't seem to get it!" He cried, dipping his fingers into the small basin of water next to him.

She nodded sympathetically, brushing back the strands of hair that had escaped his braid during his practices. "I know, I know. You'll be able to do it correctly eventually, Guy. I'm sure of it."

"Don't bet on it," He said bitterly, shaking his head.

Violet eyes inspected him closely, "Could it be that you are not entirely concentrating on this? That your mind is somewhere else? Maybe thinking about…someone in particular?" A knowing smile graced her lips.

"How come everybody knows?" He exclaimed, staring at her with wide eyes, "Am I that obvious?"

She laughed lightly, "Well, maybe just a little bit…"

He hung his head, "Dammit…"

Brushing a few loose strands of blonde hair behind her ear, Louise cleared her throat before changing the subject, "Why don't you work on something else for awhile? You could always go back to teleportation later."

"Um…" Guy considered it, slowly raised his gaze from the floor. Matthew had wanted him to take a break from teleportation too. "What do you have in mind?"

"Ninian did once say that she sensed a talent for healing within you," Louise stated. Water elements were usually good with healing, but Guy had never seemed particularly interested in it. It would be useful for him to learn, though. They could never have too many healers.

Guy sighed, "I don't want to be a healer. If we were attacked by witch hunters, I'd be absolutely useless! I couldn't fight, or protect Matth-" He stopped short, _It's not like he needs my protection, anyway…_ He thought, shaking his head, "I wouldn't be able to protect anyone! All I'd be able to do is sit on the sidelines and heal injuries." He dipped his fingertips into the water again, watching the rippling surface.

"No one ever said you couldn't do both."

"Eh?" Guy blinked, staring at Louise, "What do you mean by that?"

Louise laughed, reaching over and brushing Guy's bangs out of his eyes, "You can be a fighter and a healer. It's not like you have to pick one!" She let her graceful fingers trail down the length of Guy's braid before withdrawing her hand.

"I…guess so," He thought it over. Maybe being a healer wouldn't be so bad after all, as long as he could still fight. He didn't want to surrender his skill with the blade to become a healer.

"Let's just practice a simple healing spell, all right?" Louise asked, smiling gently at him. "I'll even do it with you." In one smooth move, she got to her feet, gazing down at Guy expectantly.

"All right, but just one…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm sorry…for keeping you…waiting…" Wil panted out once he'd managed to find his teacher again. Maybe running the whole way wasn't such a good idea after all.

Rath sighed, "…Did you find it?" He asked, gazing at Wil.

The brunette nodded, producing a small velvet bag from his pocket and holding it up for his teacher to see. "Yeah, I got it!"

Nodding, Rath turned, leading the way outside. Wil followed obediently, trying to keep up with his teacher's long strides.

"HEY! Rath, wait up! You walk really fast, you know! Really, really fast! Can't you please slow down? Rath! Rath, please!" Wil finally managed to catch up to his teacher, latching onto his arm so Rath couldn't get too far ahead again. Well, that and the idea of hanging off of Rath's arm seemed very appealing. Wil blushed deeply at the thought.

Rath looked down at his tomato-red student, raising an eyebrow. A bright red Wil, clinging to him? This…was certainly unexpected.

Looking up, Wil turned an even brighter shade of crimson, "Sorry! Am I making you uncomfortable? I'm not trying to, really! It's just that you're so tall, it's kind of hard for me to keep up with you! You don't mind, do you?" Warm brown eyes blinked.

Slowly, Rath shook his head, "…No." In all honesty, he didn't mind. Not at all. This was actually rather nice. It was a shame that Wil let go once they got outside.

Walking a bit farther from the house, Rath gestured for Wil to take a seat under a large oak tree. The younger obeyed, sitting down and looking up at Rath curiously.

"Well, I was going to have you work with your pendulum…" Rath said, closing his eyes against the glare of the sun. "But…" He trailed off, opening one green eye and glancing into the distance, thinking.

After a moment or so, Wil blinked, "…But?" He repeated, staring intently at his teacher. Did this mean he didn't have to practice with the pendulum? That was good, he didn't think he was going to get anywhere with that anytime soon.

"…I have something in mind for today's lesson that I think you'll like much better," Rath finished, offering Wil a slight smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When he reached the top of the staircase, Heath nearly choked. The air was thick with many different kinds of incense.

Legault took a deep breath before stepping into the attic, obviously expecting the incense fragrant air that waited at the top of the stairs.

"You could have warned me!" Heath coughed, casting a glare in Legault's direction.

Legault only reply was a shrug.

A curtain that separated off part of the room lifted, and a pale girl with long blue hair poked her head out, "Ah, Legault…And, you are?" She looked at Heath, blinking crimson eyes. So Fiora had been right; Legault had brought a strange young man back with him after all.

"I'm Heath," He introduced himself. "You're Ninian, right?"

She blinked again, then smiled, "Yes, I am. Please, come inside." She pulled back the curtain, holding it open for the two.

Stepping inside, Heath realized that the air in this section of the attic was much fresher, and quickly realized why. Ninian had left a window open, allowing fresh air to enter the room and make it easier to breath.

"I'm sorry about the incense," She said, gazing at Heath. "Hannah, our senior fortune teller, seems to like it this way, and it's best not to argue with her." Closing the curtain after them, Ninian took a seat at the small table in the middle of the room. She motioned for Legault and Heath to do the same. When they had sat down, she began to speak, "Legault, I suppose you're wondering why I called you here."

Shaking his head, the lavender haired man answered, "Not really." He answered truthfully, locking his eyes with her ruby red gaze.

Smiling slightly, she closed her eyes, "…No, I suppose you really don't." Opening her eyes, she stared at him. "Nino is not the only one who's curious about where you were and what you were doing over your absence, Legault."

The lavender haired dark element said nothing.

"It was dangerous," Ninian continued. "Very dangerous Legault. What if we had needed to find you? You didn't leave of with a location, or a way to get in touch with you, or…" She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before she started ranting. "It was not a wise thing to do, Legault."

"…I had to," Legault said shortly. He reached over, grabbing Heath's hand. The green haired boy started at the sudden content, turning to look at Legault.

"I thought it had something to do with him." Ninian said softly, observing the almost possessive way Legault gripped Heath's hand.

Once again, Legault said nothing. He only continued to hold Heath's hand tightly.

"Won't you tell me, Legault?" She asked, before her ruby red eyes flitted over to Heath, "Better yet, why don't you tell me what happened, Heath?"

No matter how much he wanted to, Heath could not look away from her almost magnetic gaze. "I…don't know if I can really…" He trailed off, finally able to tear his eyes away from Ninian long enough to glance at Legault, a silent question.

"You can, if you want. I don't really care to explain right now," Legault answered Heath's unspoken question.

Heath nodded slowly, "All right…" He took a deep breath, "Legault left to…rescue me. He saved me."

"Oh?" Ninian raised one eyebrow. She'd never really thought of Legault as the type to 'rescue' anyone. "Go on. What did he save you from?" She asked, curious now.

"They…well, I sincerely doubt that they were actually my aunt and uncle, they certainly weren't married, and I really don't think they were siblings…but they called themselves my aunt and uncle. Vaida and Eubans. I really can't clearly remember a time when I didn't know them. They were just…always there. I lived with them. It wasn't a bad thing until a few years ago. I don't know what happened…but they stopped allowing me to go out on my own. They kept me locked up. I could go out, but not without supervision. And then, finally, they wouldn't let me go out at all. I never understood why. I still don't understand why," He paused, his lips parted as if to continue speaking, but he said nothing.

Legault sighed, squeezing Heath's hand, entwining his long fingers with Heath's in a comforting gesture. Violet-blue eyes caught amethyst ones, urging him to go on.

"Then, a few months later, it got even worse. Eubans started…" Heath's breath hitched ever so slightly, "He started hitting me." He slipped his hand out of Legault's grip and slowly rolled up his sleeve, exposing a forearm crisscrossed by thin scars.

Ninian was silent as she observed Heath's arm, but Legault's reaction was different. He dragged Heath closer, inspecting his arm. Heath had never shown him these scars… "This," He said, "This was not caused by hitting, Heath. This was done with some kind of sharp edge."

Heath blushed, tearing his arm away from Legault and pulling his sleeve back down.

"Now do you see?" Legault asked, locking his eyes with Ninian's in a burning, angry glance. "I couldn't leave him there!"

"No, it's all right. I understand that you had to get him out of there, for his own safety." She said calmly, "What I don't understand is why they were keeping him locked up."

Heath shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I can't offer an explanation as to why either."

Legault looked from Heath to Ninian as if they were both crazy. "It's obvious!" He exclaimed. It was such a simple reason! Why couldn't the other two figure it out? Ninian should be able to, at least. She was smart enough to do it. Not that Heath wasn't, but sometimes it was hard to figure out these things when it concerned yourself.

"So, do you know then, Legault?" Ninian asked, staring at the lavender haired man intently.

Legault nodded, "Of course. It's so simple, really. They were keeping him hostage because of his magic!" He cast a glance at Heath out of the corner of his eyes, observing the green haired young man who was staring so blankly at the tabletop now, "They wanted to abuse his power!"

Ninian stared at him for a few minutes, before speaking, "Legault…Can't you sense it?…Heath has no magic."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter Six-End

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What can I say? I'm a sucker for Heath torture. Sorry if it seemed too dramatic. I can never tell if I'm overdoing it…Oh, well, better to be overdoing it then under-doing (is there such a thing?) it, right?

And…judging by all your lovely reviews, my dear readers, you weren't expecting that ending, were you? (Evil smirk) Mwahahahaha! Ehh…I'll stop evilly ranting now.

Once again, this chapter managed to give me a hard time. It's EVIL…evil, I say! So frickin' hard to write… (Sigh) Ah, well, as long as everyone likes the finished project, it's fine, right? You know, I think this might've been the longest chapter I've ever written. It's almost 5,000 words. Might not seem like very much, but before I started this fic, I hardly ever wrote chapters over 2,000… I think this fic has really helped my writing along. It's improved it greatly, at least in my opinion. Okay, I'm going to stop right here before I start ranting.

I'm going to try and get the next chapter up within a week, but it might take a bit longer then that in reality. I'm looking forward to writing this one! (Grins)

I think you all know what I'm going to say in this little line. Reviews and if you're really feeling generous, shonen ai fanfiction. Please, we need more! We really, really do! AHEM, but anyway, review please. (Smiles)


	7. Demonstration of a Key's True Power?

A/N: Alright! Chapter seven! Finally, we start getting somewhere plot-wise. Ah, yes, the plot… My lovely little plot. ::Huggles plot:: Other then that, I can't think of anything else to say. We hit the sixty review mark! Yay!

**A note to everyone who's asked where Jaffar is: **Well, he's not here…YET. He's showing up later, so don't worry your pretty little heads about it.

Disclaimer: The following is a list of some of the items found in Amethyst Bubble's possession- about eighty volumes of manga, some anime, a GameBoy Advance, a Fire Emblem game cartridge, several notebooks filled with fanfics and doodles, a laptop computer, a glass of lemonade, some pocket lint, a few yards of string. (Note that only the game cartridge is listed, and not the actual rights to the game.)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Something Wicked

Chapter Seven

By Amethyst Bubble

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Unless…" Rath paused to eye his student, "Unless you'd… like to work with the pendulum."

Wil shook his head. Sure, he was a little bit miffed that he had run all the way upstairs to get the damned thing, run back down, bumped into someone on his way, then run some more before clinging to his teacher and making a fool of himself only to find out they wouldn't even be using it. But the thing was evil and Wil would honestly rather practice anything else.

Slowly, Rath nodded, "Alright then… let's work on your wind magic first, seeing as it's an easier element to handle."

"What do you mean?" Wil asked, blinking.

"…Some elements are harder to control then others. More passive elements are wind and water; they're easy to control… Earth and fire are more aggressive. You have to work harder to control them." The green-haired man explained.

"What about darkness and light? Those are elements too, right?"

"…Darkness and light are in a category of their own. I've never worked with either, so I wouldn't know how hard it is to master them."

"Rath, you're element is earth, right?" Wil asked suddenly. He'd just remembered something he deemed rather odd…

"Yes…" Rath said, raising an eyebrow. He'd already informed Wil of that fact, unless he was much mistaken.

"Then how did you light those candles back when we had our first lesson in the library? Wouldn't that be fire magic?" Wil asked, staring up at his teacher with curious brown eyes.

A small smile graced his face as Rath realized what Wil was thinking, "No, Wil. I don't have two elements like you do."

Wil looked rather disappointed for a moment. He didn't like the idea of being the _only_ one with two elements and for a moment he had hoped that he was not alone. "Then how did you light the candles…?"

"It is possible to learn basic spells for elements that are not your own," Rath explained. "When you have mastered your own elements, I'll show you simple spells for the others that you can learn. You will never be able to master them as well as you can master your own, though."

Wil slowly nodded, absorbing this information. It seemed magic was even more complicated then he thought. He wondered how much more there was to know about it. Would he ever find out everything?

Rath's voice interrupted his thoughts, "Come here." He ordered, motioning for Wil to stand next to him.

Wil obeyed, quickly rising and moving to stand next to Rath.

"Now, I want you to do exactly as I tell you. Otherwise, it…" He stopped. He didn't want to make Wil worry. Besides, this wasn't a particularly difficult spell. There wasn't much of a chance of it going wrong. "…Just concentrate hard on this…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Legault stared at Ninian in disbelief. No magic? How was that possible? He had been so sure… Turning to look at Heath, he found him staring blankly at the tabletop. There was no surprise or shock in his eyes; he had been expecting this. "No magic?" Legault breathed, turning his gaze back to Ninian.

"Actually, I shouldn't go so far as to say none," Ninian corrected herself. "Everyone has magic, even if it is just an insignificantly small amount. His…well, it just isn't enough to _use_. Not how we use it…"

"I…" Legault began, then stopped, not knowing quite knowing how to put what he was feeling into words.

Heath said it for him, "You assumed." His tone was quiet and he did not look up, "I never said I had magic, did I, Legault?"

"Well, no," Legault admitted rather hesitantly. "But you could see my magic."

Ninian shook her head, "Your shadows have a physical form, Legault. Of course he could see them."

"No," Legault said. "Not the shadows, Ninian. He actually saw the magic." He flicked his wrist and transparent silver strands encircled his hand, "You can see this, can't you, Heath?"

Ninian's red eyes studied Legault, "Maybe you shouldn't ask this of him." She advised, but Legault ignored her, keeping his gaze trained on Heath.

For a moment, Heath remained silent and perfectly still. Then, so quietly that Legault wasn't sure if it wasn't just his imagination, Heath whispered, "Legault, don't make me…"

Frowning, Legault ordered, "Look at me, Heath."

Heath hesitantly obeyed, looking up and staring into Legault's eyes.

Raising the hand encircled by the silver strings of magic, Legault placed it between himself and Heath, "Can you see it? The silver stuff?"

The green haired youth was silent for a moment before he shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't see anything except your hand, Legault. I'm sorry." He offered the other man a small smile. Something in his expression seemed rather guilty.

Ninian studied them both, before she finally spoke, "Sometimes things like that happen. People without magical abilities can glimpse snatches of magic for a moment. It doesn't mean it will ever happen again," She said.

Standing up, Heath headed for the curtain that separated the room from the rest of the attic, "…I think I should go. I'll see you in a little while, Legault."

Legault nodded with a distant look on his face. He obviously wasn't focusing on what was happening at that moment. His mind was somewhere else, on something else.

"…It was nice to meet you," Heath said to Ninian, casting one last glance at Legault before he disappeared through the curtain.

The remaining two sat in silence for a moment before a bang broke through the quiet atmosphere. Legault had slammed his fist into the table. "He _could _see it! I know it! Do you know what-" He was cut off by the girl across from him.

Brushing her long hair back, Ninian said briskly, "I know, Legault."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hey, where are you going?" Leila felt strong arms wrap around her from behind. She smiled, weaving out of Matthew's embrace.

"Just to do some shopping," She answered, adjusting her purse on her arm.

Matthew raised an eyebrow, "Is Serra going with you?"

Shaking her red haired head, Leila answered, "No. I'm going alone." Catching the flash of worry that ran across her boyfriend's face before it was covered up by his usual cheerful grin, Leila smiled inwardly, "Don't be like that. It's only for a couple of hours."

Matthew shrugged, pretending that he didn't care. He was slightly concerned for her, though; they had been advised recently not to go outside unaccompanied, what with the sudden rise in the numbers of witch hunters.

Leaning up, Leila placed a kiss on his cheek, "You want me to look nice for your parents, right?" She laughed softly.

"'Course I do." Matthew laughed back, "But you don't need to go shopping for that." He paused, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Once again, she shook her head. "No, you'd be bored. I'll only be gone for a little while, okay? I'll see you later," She blew him a kiss before she opened the front door and stepped outside.

Matthew waved as she left, "See you later." Turning around as he heard the slam of a car door, he sat down in one of the arm chairs. What to do now? Maybe he'd go look for a certain water witch…

"Matthew?" Scratch that; the water witch had found him. Guy blinked down at him, "…Did Leila go somewhere?" As usual, he said the name in a rather spiteful tone. Matthew chose to ignore it. He wouldn't get into a fight with Guy, not today. He wouldn't see the hurt in those dark blue eyes today.

"Yeah, she went shopping."

Guy sat down on the arm of the chair Matthew was sitting in, "Oh." He resisted the urge to say something along the lines of 'I hope she doesn't come back for a while'.

Getting a rather devious idea, Matthew reached up, taking a hold of one of Guy's forearms and yanking him down. The braided boy yelped, falling into Matthew's lap. A bright blush stained his cheeks, "W-what the h-h-hell are you d-doing?" He exclaimed, grabbing a handful of Matthew's shirt to pull himself into a sitting position.

"What would you say about the two of us doing something, hmm?" Matthew tugged playfully on Guy's braid, smirking. He was bored and it was too perfect a day to be cooped up inside.

Guy squeaked as Matthew circled an arm around his waist to stop his escape attempts, "L-like w-w-what?"

"Damn, you're stuttering a lot," Matthew frowned. "You okay?" He studied Guy closely. "Your face is all red. Are you sick?"

Guy scowled, managing to escape Matthew's grip and get to his feet, "I'm f-fine."

"You sure?" Matthew got to his feet, trying to remove Guy's head band so he could place a hand on the other's forehead. Guy weaved out of his reach, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm not sick, Matthew," He said flatly, managing to get one stutter-free sentence out. While it was nice to get attention from Matthew, he absolutely hated being babied.

Frowning slightly, an uncommon expression for him, Matthew muttered, "If you're sure…" A few moments of silence elapsed, before Matthew spoke again, "So, about my offer?"

Guy shrugged, "If you want." He smiled. They rarely ever got the chance to be alone together. It would be nice, being able to have some time alone with Matthew, even if the other's feelings towards him were nothing more then platonic. Then he remembered the reason he'd come into the room in the first place; to retrieve the book of spells Louise had left lying on the sofa. He was supposed to be practicing a healing spell with her. He sighed, "Actually, Matthew, I can't." He frowned; he had really wanted to spend some time with the sandy haired man.

Matthew's frown increased, and he opened his mouth to ask why, but a feminine voice beat him to it.

"And why can't you?" Louise laughed lightly, standing in the doorway. "I was wondering what was taking you so long, so I came to check on you…" She gave Guy a small wink and a smile. "We can practice healing some other time, Guy. Why don't you two go have fun?"

Guy would have hugged Louise right there and then, but Matthew grabbed his arm, wheeling him towards the door, "To…somewhere!" He exclaimed with a grin as he dragged Guy out the door.

Louise giggled to herself as the door slammed shut. Guy could always practice his healing later, she supposed. Right now, he was young and she wanted him to spend time with someone he cared for. To have a good time and forget about everything else for awhile.

Smiling and shaking her head, she went off to look for her husband.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nino poked her head into the doorway. She hadn't been able to get nearly enough information about what her dear uncle had been doing while he was away before, and she intended to nag him until he told her more. He couldn't keep quiet forever. Eventually, she'd get the whole story out of him.

To her disappointment, her uncle was not in his room. However, someone else was. The green haired young man her uncle had brought back with him was sitting on the edge of the bed, apparently lost in his own thoughts.

"Can I come in?" She asked softly, rapping her knuckles lightly on the already open door.

He spun around, his surprised look melting into a slight smile when he saw who it was, "Sure." He answered, patting a spot on the bed next to him.

She shut the door quietly behind her, trotting over to the bed and taking a seat down next to him, "Your name's Heath, right?" She asked, staring up at him with curiosity filled blue eyes.

He nodded, "And you're Nino?"

She nodded, giving him a wide smile, "Yes!"

Heath only nodded, before he fell silent once again. He stared ahead, biting his lip in a rather nervous way. She blinked. What could he possibly be nervous about?

Reaching up, Nino tugged lightly on his sleeve, "Are you okay?" She suddenly wondered where Legault was. Shouldn't he be showing Heath around? The house was so big; a newcomer could easily get lost in the winding halls.

He blinked, looking down at her and giving her a small smile, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to ask Heath a few questions, "How'd you meet my uncle…err, Legault, anyway?" She asked, tilting her head to one side. She really had to remember to refer to him by his name when speaking to anyone besides him.

He blinked down at her, "Oh…well, I sort of…stumbled across him while he was in a fight…" His cheeks colored the faintest shade of pink.

She giggled. Then, the meaning of his words dawned upon her, "My uncle was in a fight?" She shrieked. She leaned forward, staring at him in a very intense manner, silently promising pain if he did not tell her everything he knew.

Heath leaned back a bit, trying to put some distance between himself and that fearsome glare. For such an adorable girl, she could be pretty scary. "…Yes, he was."

"Did he win?" Nino asked, calming down a bit. She was trying so hard not to scare Heath off. He looked a little bit jumpy.

Heath hesitated, as if trying to remember what had happened, "Yes, he did. He…saved my life," He ducked his head, so his bangs overshadowed his eyes. It had been such an embarrassing moment after all. That was the first of several times Legault had come to his rescue. And he so hated the 'damsel in distress' comments that Legault still teasingly made. Clearing his throat, he spoke up again, "I'd rather not speak about it right now, if you don't mind. Maybe Legault will tell you later."

Nino frowned, but decided she wouldn't try to get more information out of Heath. Tugging on the sleeve of his shirt again, she asked, "Has my uncle shown you around the house yet?"

Heath shook his head, glad that Nino had decided to let the subject drop. It was an embarrassing memory, yes, what with being saved and all, but there was other stuff in that story he didn't feel like remembering right now. Not after that meeting with Ninian.

Nino frowned, getting to her feet, "Yeesh! He's so irresponsible! Come on, I'll show you the house and introduce you to everyone!" She grinned widely, placing her hands on her hips.

Getting to his feet slowly, Heath nodded. He let the girl lead him out of the room, wondering if they would run into Legault. On one hand he really did want to explain his actions to the lavender haired man, but on the other, it would definitely not be an enjoyable expierience.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Erk stiffened as he heard the library door open, his hand frozen in mid air, the book he was about the shelve clutched tightly in it.

Canas sent him a pitying look, and Erk swore that he wasn't going to turn around.

Moments later, he regretted that. Maybe if he'd seen the pink haired girl coming, he would have been able to dodge the hug she had tackled him in.

"Erky!" She whined, "Why haven't you talked to me today? I've been so lonely! Matthew went off to do something with Guy, and Leila went shopping and Hector threatened me with bodily harm if I even spoke to him! Isn't that rude of him, Erky? Well, isn't it?" She said.

Erk clenched his jaw, shooting Canas, who was trying to stifle his chuckles, a glare. He attempted to unwind the girl's arms from around his neck. No use; she had a grip like steel. "Serra, I'm trying to sort these books. We need to get the library back in order after that horrible incident when Florina temporarily lost control of her powers and created a small tornado that swept all the book off their shelves." He paused to take a deep breath before continuing, "So if you would please get off of me?"

Too his surprise, she did let go. Moving so that she stood in front of him, she pouted, placing her hands on her hips, "Erky! You're so mean! We used to have all kinds of fun together, remember?"

"Not really," Erk said stiffly, avoiding Serra's gaze. Actually, he did remember. They used to be very close friends, until they had had an argument. For weeks, that hadn't spoken to each other and in that time both had made other friends. Serra seemed to want to strike up the friendship again but Erk wasn't so sure. He was finding her more and more irritating these days.

Twirling a lock of bubble gum pink hair around her finger, Serra scowled. She absolutely hated it when Erk acted like he didn't know what she was talking about when he so clearly did. Oh, well, she might as well tell him what she came to tell him anyway, "Legault's back, you know."

Erk's head snapped up, his gaze shifting from the bookshelf to Serra, "…What?"

"Oh," Canas commented from across the library. "That's good. I was beginning to think that there might have been a problem with whatever business he had to take care off."

Serra waved a hand, "That's not the good part." She said briskly, "He brought somebody back with him!" She clapped her hands together, resisting the urge to do a twirl. "Farina told me. She was there when he got back."

"…Who is this person?" Erk asked, his interest captured now.

Serra shrugged, "I don't know his name, but he's pretty young, only a couple years older then you and me, Erky, and he's got green and white hair." She pressed a finger to her lips, as if trying to recall more.

"Green and white?" Canas spoke up again, "My, but that is unusual. The white could, of course, have been caused by shock. I had an uncle once who fell of a telephone pole while he was working. It was a pretty long fall, I think. His hair turned white over night from the shock. (1)"

Erk was thinking about something other then the newcomer's hair color, "I wonder what type of witch he is?" The purple haired boy wondered aloud.

His question was followed by the creak of the library door opening. In stepped Nino, leading someone who could only be the person Legault had brought back, judging by his hair.

"Hey!" Nino waved to the three, pushing the man in front of herself. "I want you guys to meet somebody! This is Heath!"

Heath nodded at them slightly, looking rather uncomfortable, just being shoved in front of people like that.

Serra was the first to move. She bounded up to him, shaking his hand, "Hello and welcome! I'm Serra. If you need any help at all with anything concerning light magic or healing, come to me! I'm practically an expert!" She smiled widely as she finally let go of his hand. "That's Erk," Serra motioned to Erk with a dramatic sweep of her arms. Erk gave Heath a curt nod, "And that Canas, our resident librarian." She motioned to Canas next.

Canas did not nod. He did not wave. He did not say anything. He marched right up to Heath, brushing Serra aside, raising a hand to tilt Heath's chin up. He examined Heath's eyes, his hair, his face, murmuring to himself all the while. Finally, he let go of Heath, retreating to a far corner of the library. After a moment of searching, he pulled a book off the shelf, flipping through it almost fervently.

Heath took a step back, and Erk noted that his aura became defensive. He obviously did not like being touched like that. Clearing his throat, he decided to speak, "You'll have to forgive Canas. He probably thinks that you have the exact same eye color of some famous witch or something silly like that." He brushed a few locks of purple hair behind his ear.

Heath nodded stiffly, but his aura stayed as defensive as before. He was not calmed by Erk's explanation in the least.

Nino, being a water element, was especially in tune with people's emotions. She frowned as she studied Heath. Tugging on his sleeve, she began to lead him out of the library, "I'm going to go show Heath the rest of the place now, okay?" She smiled brightly to the three witches in the library.

"Bye bye now!" Serra trilled as they left.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Wil's breathing had evened out, showing that he was truly concentrating, Rath gave his next instruction, "Now… I want you to concentrate on the air." Rath fell silent, waiting for something. When the wind picked up just a tiny bit, he nodded to himself, "Good…Now, I want you to-" He paused; what was that noise? A faint rumbling sounded off in the distance.

Thinking it was no more then a truck going down the road hidden by the trees that surrounded the house, Rath began to continue. He stopped short when the ground started shaking.

An earthquake in New Jersey? Rath frowned. Suddenly, he was seized by panic. Turning to his student, praying that this wasn't happening, his fear became a reality. He could sense the power floating off of Wil in waves. He was causing the earthquake.

Wil's eyes were no longer closed, but when Rath looked into them, it was clear that Wil was still in a trance-like state. He had no control over his powers; they were running wild.

The winds were becoming stronger and Rath cursed loudly. He had to snap Wil out of it. Otherwise, he was afraid that New Jersey was about to be hit with both an earthquake and a tornado. Grabbing his student by the shoulders, Rath shook him roughly.

No good. Wil didn't react. The winds got stronger and the ground kept shaking. Distantly, he heard voices. A few people were hanging out of windows, shouting questions at him, asking what was going on. Rath shook Wil again, calling his name.

Suddenly, without warning, Wil raised a hand. He had snapped out of his trance like state. "Rath, what's going on?" The wind did not calm down and the ground did not stop shaking.

"Wil, you need to concentrate," Rath said, choosing to ignore the fact that concentrating was what had started this all in the first. "You need to stop this."

"STOP this? You mean I'm doing this? But I don't know how I could be doing this! I'm really doing this Rath? How? How do I stop doing it?" Wil panicked, staring up at his teacher with wide brown eyes as the wind whipped around them.

The ground jerked again, causing Wil to lose his footing. He fell against Rath, who in turn lost his balance when Wil fell into him, sending them both spiraling to the ground.

The back door of the house flew open and Fiora and Farina ran out, followed closely by Florina and Lyn. Lyn knelt on the ground, pressing her hands flat against it, her long hair whipping around her in the wild winds. From his position on the ground, Rath could not see what the three sisters were doing, but he thought he heard their voices chanting over the howl of the wind.

As suddenly as it they had started, the winds calmed down, the ground stopped shaking. Lyn shakily got to her feet, wiping away a trickle of sweat that ran down her cheek. Florina appeared beside her, allowing the taller girl to lean against her.

Slowly, Wil crawled off of Rath, too shocked to even blush at the position they'd been in moments ago.

Putting her hands on her hips, Farina fixed them both with a glare, "_What_ did you do?" She demanded, glaring.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"…You can't tell him this, Legault." Ninian said, staring Legault down as best as she could.

"Why the hell not?" Legault demanded, conjuring up a much fiercer glare then Ninian's.

"You have to let him adjust," Ninian said, surrendering her glare and trying a pleading look instead. "Please, Legault. It's just not good for him for you to spring a surprise like this on him directly after he's been moved into a new setting." The look she gave him said what she did not want to, _'you are giving him more then he can handle'_.

Legault let out a long, irritated sigh, "I won't keep secrets from him." Mentally, he added, _Especially__ not if they concern him._

"I…I understand that you care for him greatly," Ninian's eyes softened a bit. "But Legault, if you really do care for him, you will give him time."

The lavender haired man was quiet for a minute, "…How much time do you want me to give him?" He asked, locking his gaze with hers.

She too was quiet for a moment, "…I don't know. Just…time." She finally answered.

"I'm going to tell him." Legault said, nodding to himself, "I can't keep this from him. I don't care what you say, Ninian. Heath _needs_ to know. He will be better off knowing. He will not allow me to protect him if he does not know why he needs to be protected." He made a move as if to get up, but Ninian's pale hand shot out, wrapping around his wrist in a grip he could have easily escaped from. Her eyes commanded him to not to break away from her. She glared up at him with a strangely fierce look.

"No," She said in a commanding tone. "He would not want you to tell him. He will find out on his own, Legault. On some level, he knows already. You must let him do this himself."

Legault opened his mouth to retort when the house began to shake. Ninian gasped, letting go of Legault. She ran to the window, and for a few minutes, hung half out of it, observing all that went on outside. When everything had calmed, Ninian pulled herself back inside, looking rather shaken up. If that had been the power of one key, she wondered what all of them together would be like. A truly remarkable, and at the same time, terrifying, thing, she supposed.

Turning around, she discovered that Legault was no longer there. The curtains that separated her part of the attic from the rest of it hung halfway closed and she discovered that the door that led downstairs was wide open.

"Legault, please don't tell him! For his own good!" She shouted down the steps, hoping, praying that he would listen. When she received no reply, she sank to the dusty floor, peering down the attic stairway half-heartedly.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Heath spotted Legault coming down the hallway, he breathed a sigh of relief, shooting the other man a look that clearly said, 'help me, I've been kidnapped by your evil niece'.

"Hi, uncle Legault!" Nino grinned as Legault walked up to them, "Since you neglected to show Heath around, I decided to do it." She sent him a look that would have made him feel guilty if he wasn't so preoccupied with other matters.

Legault gave Heath a pitying look, wondering how long Nino had been dragging him around. "Nino, why don't you run along now? We can show Heath the rest of the house later. Right now, I need to talk to him." He placed a hand on her head, slightly ruffling her bright green hair.

Heath blinked, what could Legault possibly want to talk to him about? Wincing, the reason came to him. Suddenly, being pulled down countless corridors by a energetic little girl didn't seem half-bad.

She crossed her arms over her chest, "Okay, but you have to promise to come and talk to me later, uncle Legault. I've been so bored without you around!" She threw her arms around his waist in a quick hug before retreating down the hallway. Before she disappeared around a corner, she gave them a quick wave. And then she was gone.

Before Heath could blink, Legault's hand had shot out to close around his wrist. Heath let out a yelp, trying to pull away from Legault, but the lavender haired man held on tightly.

"You're coming with me," Legault said shortly, dragging Heath down the hallway he'd just come from in a much more forceful manner then Nino had.

"Let me go! It's not like I'm not going to run away if you let go of me!" Heath exclaimed, trying once again to wrench his wrist from Legault's grip.

Turning his gaze to Heath, Legault raised one eyebrow, "Do you promise?"

"This is childish, Legault," Heath frowned. "But yes, I promise I won't run away." He said with a sigh, knowing the other man wouldn't let him go until he agreed.

Slowly, Legault released Heath. He nodded, signaling for Heath to follow him. He rubbed his wrist where Legault had grabbed him – damn, that man had a tight grip – before somewhat reluctantly following Legault.

Legault disappeared into a room and after Heath had stepped in, the door slammed shut behind him. Legault placed a hand on the doorknob, and in a matter of seconds it was surrounded by shadows, "Now no one can get in and you can't get out until I'm finished with you." Legault spoke from where he leaned against the closed door.

Heath glared at him indignantly, sitting down on one of the many desks that littered the room; he supposed it must have served as a school room at some point, from the looks of it. "Look, I'm sorry for lying…" He took a deep breath, brushing a few locks of hair away from his face. "But, let's face it. I don't have magic. Whether I can see yours or not…that doesn't really make a difference, does it?"

Legault frowned, "But your Fae blood…"

Heath let out a sigh, "Legault, my great, great grandmother _might _have been a Fae." He said, stressing the 'might', "Vaida only implied it once in a conversation with me. And even if she was, do you know what that would make me? I would be one sixteenth Fae! One sixteenth! How much a difference do you think that'll make?"

Legault opened his mouth, ready to argue this, but Heath spoke again before he could say anything.

"You know I meant what I said last night. I am happy." Heath slid off the desk, walking up to Legault, leaving on a few inches distance between them, "I don't care that I don't have magic." He shrugged, "…You don't care, do you?" He glanced at Legault.

_"He would not want you to tell him."_ Ninian's soft, haunting voice replayed in Legault's memory. No, he decided, Heath would not want to know right now. Heath was happy, and that was what mattered.

Snatching Heath to him in a tight hug, Legault whispered into the other's ear, "No, I don't care at all."

- - - - - - - - - -

Chapter 7- End

- - - - - - - - - -

(1) True story. It happened to my grandpa, Charlie.

::Eyes ending::…That's why I shouldn't listen to sappy music…Especially not while writing. Oh, well, it doesn't bother me enough to change it… At least, not now it doesn't. O.o;; Damned endings! Always bothering me like that…::Grumble, mumble::

…Yeah, you can all throw rotten fruit at me for the late update. I deserve it. I sure took my sweet time…Especially because I had everything but the last few paragraphs written up for almost a week before I finished the chapter. Yes, bad me, being all lazy like that…

And for those of you who don't know, the Fae are like fairies (the mythological kind, all ye who think otherwise). Except, while fairies are usually described as tiny winged creatures, like Guy's sprites, Fae are creatures who are almost exactly human-like in appearance (or so I've gained from that pile of fairy tale book in the corner) and…I'm not explaining this well. O.o;; Anyway, they are mythical creatures.

Reviews and shonen ai fanfiction are much appreciated. ::Craves her FE s-ai::


	8. Secrets and Visions

A/N: And so, I, Amethyst Bubble, dedicate this chapter to Aminec, for giving me that lovely idea while we were talking after Simcha Torah services. ::Gives Aminec a cookie:: I stole the recipe that you stole from Vaida, though, so you might not want to eat it. Give it to Amenic. Or Yunno, or one of your other muses. Gonna stop senselessly babbling now. Anyway, Aminec gave me a lovely idea that I'll be using later. ::Cackles::

Disclaimer: ::Raises an eyebrow::…I don't REALLY have to say it, do I? Don't you all know?…WHAT legal issues?!…Oh, fine, fine…AHEM, I don't own Fire Emblem. There, I said it. ::Walks off in a huff::

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Something Wicked

Chapter Eight

By Amethyst Bubble

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"What are you doing on the floor, girl?"

Ninian looked up to see the wrinkled face of the old fortune teller staring down at her. Slowly, she got to her feet, dusting off her long skirt half-heartedly. "I-" Before she could even get another word out, Hannah interrupted her.

"Legault won't tell that young man," The old fortune teller said gruffly. "Your words and his affections get in the way of what he thinks is the right thing to do."

"Is it?" Ninian said, her voice just the tiniest bit bitter, "Maybe Legault was right to want to tell him…" She didn't ask how Hannah knew. Hannah always knew these sorts of things. Whether it was because she was truly a gifted psychic or if it was because she was an eavesdropper, no one knew. Frankly, no one wanted to.

"He'll find out soon enough," Hannah said in that same short, gruff tone. The kind of tone that you just couldn't argue with. Not that it was wise to argue with Hannah at all; anyone who tried to quickly learned their place.

"What's going on?" A small voice asked and a green haired head appeared from behind the curtains that separated Hannah's room from Ninian's and the rest of the attic. A flute was clutched in his hand; he had been practicing when Hannah and Ninian's conversation had distracted him.

"It's…nothing, Nils," Ninian smiled at her younger brother, smoothing down his hair affectionately.

Nils frowned, "No, it's not nothing. I can see that it's not nothing." Just because he was the youngest fortune teller didn't mean that he was the worst. He was just as good as them. They should share their information with him, he was sure he could help.

"When you're older, boy," Hannah said, beginning to hobble back to her section of the attic. "We'll tell you things."

Nils crossed his arms over his chest, gazing from Hannah to Ninian with his red eyes. "Well, then why should I tell you about the weird vision I had?" His expression turned slightly melancholy at the mention of his vision. It was an important one but in no way a good one. He resisted the urge to shiver slightly.

"Vision?" Ninian stared down at her little brother in a curious manner. Nils had had visions before, but they had always been on minor things; nothing that he really needed to inform them on. The most serious one he'd ever had was about a thunderstorm that was coming.

"…You tell us and then we'll tell you, boy." Hannah said, not quite believing that Nils had actually had a vision. She wouldn't put it past him to make something like that up just to force Ninian and her to spill everything to him. He was a clever boy, after all. Hannah knew that all too well.

"…All right, but you have to promise to tell me afterwards!" After both women had nodded their agreement, Hannah somewhat reluctantly, Nils began.

------------------------

"Farina!"

The blue haired girl cursed quietly, quickly kicking something underneath her bed. Turning around, she saw her younger sister in the doorway, "Yes?" She asked, masking the annoyance in her voice. She didn't particularly want to scare Florina off. Of course, if she did, she could get back to her task right away.

"…Was I interrupting something?" Florina cocked her head to one side, staring at her older sister with curious eyes.

"Nothing that can't wait a little while…" Farina said with a sigh, sitting down on her bed and motioning for Florina to come in.

The orchid haired wind witch took a few steps into the room, hovering nervously, "Why…why were you so mad at Rath and Wil, Farina?" She asked timidly. She'd never seen her sister snap at anyone like that. While it was true that Wil had put everyone in danger, he hadn't done it intentionally. He'd lost control. Almost everyone did at some point. Farina had never yelled at any of them.

Farina paused, trying to find an explanation. "…Well, Wil's magic could have destroyed the house. As his teacher, Rath should have started him off with something, oh, I don't know…less dangerous?" She said venomously. It was true, the house could have been destroyed because of the earthquake alone, not to mention what would happen if the winds had gotten much stronger. But that was not the reason she had gotten so annoyed, though it was certainly part of it. She'd been on edge lately, and the earthquake certainly had not helped.

"W-well, that's true…" Florina admitted, the concern in her eyes dimming a tiny bit.

Farina shifted impatiently; she wanted to finish what she had been doing. And to do that, she needed Florina gone. "Why don't you go and practice your magic with Lyn?" She suggested, knowing her sister would not be against the idea. Florina was always eager to practice with Lyn.

Nodding, Florina moved towards the door, and then, abruptly stopped. Turning around, she crossed the room quickly and flung her arms around her sister's shoulders in a quick hug. Then she left.

Farina sat there for a few minutes, lost in her own thoughts, before returning to her previous task.

What was done was done, after all.

----------------------------

"I'm sorry…" Wil said softly.

Rath threaded his hand through the locks of green hair that escaped his bandanna, too exhausted to even notice the uncharacteristically small amount of words Wil had used.

Both had collapsed on a sofa in the main room, too tired to even make it upstairs to their rooms. Wil was exhausted from the amount of magic he'd accidentally used. Rath's reason was similar; even being around that much power was exhausting.

"…It's okay…" Rath murmured. There was no permanent damage to the house and while they were both too tired to move, they would be all right in a few hours.

"But I didn't even realize I was doing it, Rath!" Wil looked at his teacher with worry-filled brown eyes, "And I couldn't even stop." He clenched one of his hands tightly, almost trembling.

"You did stop," Rath informed him with a sigh, "…The elements just didn't. You don't have enough control over them to make them stop…that's why they had to come out and put a stop to it…" He was too tired to list all four of the girls' names; Wil knew who he meant by 'they'.

"…I'm just…so sorry, Rath…I don't think I'll ever get a hang of this. I-I just don't know…" He faltered, chewing lightly on his lower lip in a nervous fashion.

Reaching over, Rath laid a hand on Wil's shoulder, "Wil…stop worrying. You'll learn…" 'Eventually,' He added silently to himself. No use saying that out loud and upsetting Wil. He wasn't good with upset people. Especially not when he was tired.

"Do you really think so?" Wil asked, a spark of hope in his voice and eyes. He gazed at Rath intently, waiting for his teacher to answer.

Rath gave him the tiniest of smiles, "…I do."

Wil smiled half-heartedly, "Well, I guess if you say so. Because you're my teacher and all, and I guess you know better then me, because I'm new at all of this magic stuff and you're not so…"

Rath nodded absentmindedly, not even bothering to really listen to Wil's words.

----------------------

"Okay, what was _that_?" Serra rounded on Canas as Erk shut the library door. Her gaze was a fierce one, as if she was trying to set the library on fire with a look alone. It was times like this when Erk was glad that her element was light and that she could not actually set anything on fire with just a glance. If she did ever master fire spells, though, it would be a disaster. Erk was sure of that.

"Hmm?" The older man did not look up from the book he was fervently flipping through.

Serra rolled her eyes, "Canas! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" She snapped, stamping one petite foot and placing her hands on her hips.

"Mmhmm…" Canas gave the tiniest of nods. "That's a fine idea, Serra."

"You're not listening to me!" She accused, her lavender eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she pursed her lips together, "Canas, I'm taking valuable time out of my busy, busy schedule to talk to you! The least you could do is get your nose out of that book and listen to me for a few minutes!"

"Yes, yes, very good…" The dark witch murmured as he flipped another page over.

Serra let out an aggravated little moan. Was it so hard to just listen to her? Honestly, where were Canas' manners? A lady was speaking to him, and he ignored her for some old pieces of paper. Hmph, people these days. They just didn't behave like a civilized species anymore.

Erk sighed; was he the only one who knew how to get things done around here? Walking up to Canas, he snatched the book out of the other's hands and quickly retreating to the other side of the library with it. He didn't like to act like this, but he either had to take action or watch Serra work herself up into a fit while Canas continued to read. He'd rather not have to see Serra in a rage, especially since he was the one who was probably going to have to deal with her. He shuddered at the thought.

Canas blinked as the book was pulled away from him. Turning, he fixed Erk with a rather surprised look, "Whatever did you do that for? I was looking for something rather important, you know." His surprised look quickly melted into a stern one. "Erk, I'd like it if you would return that book to me." He held out his hand, locking his eyes with Erk's in a silent order. He wanted his book back.

"You answer some questions and you'll get your book back." Erk stated calmly, shifting the heavy leather-bound volume in his arms, keeping a tight grip on it.

"Thank you, Erk!" Serra shot him a grin. "I knew you'd help little me out with this!"

He glared at her. The last thing he wanted to do was side with Serra. His fingers tightened around the book as he resisted the urge to bring it down on her pink head.

Canas sighed, "All right, all right." He placed one hand on his hip, "What can I help you with?" He asked in an almost impatient manner. He really did want his book back.

"Why did you do that to…what's his name? That new boy! It's rude to grab someone like that!" Serra scolded, waving a finger in Canas' direction.

Erk nodded, "You made him very nervous, you know." His hold on the book lessened slightly as he remembered the defensive, nervous aura that had surrounded the green haired male.

"Did I now? Well, I must apologize for that later…but my actions were necessary, you know." Canas informed the two younger witches with an air of importance.

"And exactly why were they necessary?" Leave it to Serra to get straight to the point, Erk thought as he watched the pink haired girl stare Canas down the best she could. It was a bit difficult to stare down someone who was that much taller then you, but somehow Serra still managed. She could be quite scary for someone who wasn't very tall or even frightening. Actually, it was surprising that anyone who had pink pigtails could be described as 'scary'.

Canas sighed, "I'm sorry…but it's really something you have to figure out for yourself. Or you could ask that boy…but somehow I don't think he'd be happy about being asked that kind of question." With a pointed glance at Erk, he asked, "May I have my book back now, Erk? Or must I try and take it back from you?" His eyes told Erk he was very serious about getting his book back. Sighing, the purple haired teen walked forward until he was in front of Canas and held out the book to him.

"Thank you," Canas took the book back, smiling. He hesitated a moment before he started for the library door.

"Wait, Canas!" Serra called as he placed his hand on the door knob, "Ask him what kind of question?" But it was too late. He had already left. Serra stamped her foot again, pouting. That was no fair! How could he just leave without telling her what was going on?

Erk sighed. He was a bit curious about what Canas had been talking about, but he knew that the older man probably would keep refusing to tell him. It was really no use pestering Canas when he'd already made up his mind about something. Besides, Erk figured it probably wasn't his business, so he shouldn't go sticking his nose into it.

"Erk?" Serra asked after a moment, turning her lavender eyes on him. There was something oddly contemplative in her voice. She had obviously calmed down a bit since Canas had left.

"…Yes?" He answered with an annoyed edge to his voice, knowing that she'd just keep bothering him if he didn't give her a reply right away.

"What was the title of that book?" She asked, flicking a few strands on bubble gum pink hair over her shoulder, blinking her violet eyes in a questioning manner.

Erk almost hit himself over the head. How could Serra have thought of that when he hadn't?

----------------

"You know, we'll never get the boy back like this," Eubans said, absentmindedly flipping through the newspaper. He had an air about him that stated that he didn't really care whether they recaptured Heath or not, but Vaida knew that he was raging inside. He was the one who had started all this, after all. He obviously cared greatly, or else they would have never held Heath captive in the first place.

"Well, what will we do, then?" Vaida asked in as calm a tone as she could manage, "We can't very well go to the police, you know that as well as I do. We would be dooming ourselves." She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. She was restless, growing more and more irritated by the second. It was just so frustrating to be sitting around, doing nothing at all. Eubans said he wanted to get Heath back, didn't he? Then why the hell weren't they doing anything?

Eubans glared at her, "Do you have a plan, Vaida?" He asked venomously. "You were the one in charge of taking care of the boy, after all." He straightened his newspaper, flipping a page over.

Vaida felt compelled to tell Eubans that he had a name, and it certainly wasn't 'the boy'. But she held her tongue. What was the use in saying anything as stupid as that? What was the use in even talking to Eubans at all? Nothing was getting done this way.

"No," She said shortly.

"Well," Eubans shook out his newspaper, turning a page. "I wouldn't be speaking then, Vaida."

Her blood boiled. How _dare_ he, acting as if he were her superior. He was not. He was in no way her superior. He would be flattering himself to even call himself her equal. Turning on her heel, she stormed out of the room. Her hand gravitated above the door knob of her room. She hesitated to go in. Her hand falling to her side, she took a few quick steps to the left until she was in front of another door. Placing her hand on the door knob, she turned it and the door swung open. She stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind her.

This was, or had been, Heath's room. Vaida was not sure why she had felt so compelled to come in here. She just had. She would have said something had called to her, if she hadn't been so sure that nothing of that sort could ever happen. It was pure nonsense.

She looked around. Walls adorned only with a clock, a desk in the corner, a chest of drawers in another, and a bed that was unmade. A window by the bed, overlooking a ledge. Often, she had thought about sealing that window shut, just in case Heath was pushed far enough over the edge. She doubted he would be stupid enough to jump, but you never did know.

Over all, there was nothing special at all in the room.

"It's a shame," Eubans said and Vaida spun around to find him leaning against the door way. She had not heard him enter. "It really is a shame," He repeated with an air of someone who just didn't give a damn.

Vaida wished he would disappear. There was something about his attitude that particularly annoyed her today. If she could just have some time to herself, maybe she would be able to get a little a little peace.

As he surveyed the room the same way she had, she found herself wondering why he had never irritated her this much before. He'd never spoken to her in such a rude way before, either, if she remembered correctly.

Then the reason struck her all of a sudden: Heath. Heath had always been the target of Eubans' rage before. Now that he was gone, there was no one to take it out on but Vaida.

She growled low in her throat as Eubans turned, swiftly disappearing from sight. That smug _bastard_…

She noticed out of the corner of her eye that one of Heath's drawers was open. Out of habit more then anything, she moved to close it, and then abruptly paused. Every item of clothing in the drawer, few though they were, was pushed away from the center, as if they had been thrown aside while someone, Heath without a doubt, had been looking for something.

Vaida huffed, placing her hand on the drawer to close it when, once again, something caught her eye. A scrap of white paper. She slowly reached into the drawer and pulled it out from under the clothes that covered half of it. When she had freed it and held it up to the light, she found that it really was merely a scrap of paper. What could Heath have been keeping this for?

She was about to crumple it into a ball and discard it when she noticed that it was folded in half. Frowning, she unfolded it to find words scrawled across it in Heath's hand writing.

Three words, or rather, three names. She paled considerably when she saw just who those names belonged to.

-----------------

Despite his calm, uncaring demeanor around Vaida, Eubans was secretly raging inside. Heath was gone. Everything was ruined. They couldn't even call the authorities. It would only cause too much trouble.

How had the boy even gotten so involved with someone? He had been right under their noses the entire time. There shouldn't have been any way for him to get close to someone. Complete and total isolation. That is what he had wanted. If the boy was completely alone, it would make things so much easier.

"Well, he obviously knew the man." Vaida's words repeated over and over in his mind.

But how? How was it even possible? Surely, they would know if he had contact with other people besides himself and Vaida.

It shouldn't have been possible for Heath to even remember the man. Not with the precautions they had taken…He slammed his fist into the wall. He just didn't know how this had all happened!

Now, Heath was gone. He was who knows where with that smug bastard who had saved him. Eubans had to wonder…why had that man saved him? Did he have reasons or was he just some random do-gooder? He was a witch, he had to be, with the way he had gotten into the apartment, and then sealed the closet door shut like that…

So many questions plagued Eubans' mind. Why would someone want Heath? Unless that person knew what Heath was worth…but that wasn't very likely. No, it wasn't very likely at all.

The man had probably had different reasons entirely for rescuing their little captive.

Eubans swore lowly, glaring at nothing in particular. He had to get Heath back. It was of the utmost importance that he do so, and fast.

------------------

"Going to let me go any time soon?" Heath asked in a half joking tone, mock-glaring up at Legault.

Legault raised one eyebrow, tightening his grip on Heath, "Wasn't planning on it." He replied with a smirk.

Heath gave him an exasperated look, but didn't seem all that unhappy. "Isn't your niece going to come looking for you eventually? She seemed pretty attached to you…" He said quietly, laying his head on Legault's shoulder, figuring he might as well make himself comfortable if he wasn't going to be set free from the lavender haired man's embrace any time soon.

"Nino?" Legault hummed softly, "I suppose she will, eventually, but I'll worry about that then. It's not like she'll be able to open the door, anyway." He glanced at the shadows that still enshrouded it. Raising an arm, keeping the other wrapped securely around Heath's waist, he began stroking the other's rather messy hair, paying special attention to that one white streak.

Heath closed his eyes, enjoying the attention that was being lavished upon him, "It's hard to believe…" He started in a quiet tone, "That yesterday, I was trapped back there."

"Don't think about it if you don't want to," Legault murmured just as quietly, working his fingers through a tangle he'd found in Heath's hair.

Heath shook his head, "No. It doesn't bother me, really." Even with his eyes closed, he could literally feel the look Legault was giving him, an expression clearly saying 'you're lying'. "No, really, it doesn't," He continued. "After all, I'm not there anymore." He smiled softly.

Legault raised an eyebrow, "You're acting strange today. Not your usual paranoid self," He mused, remembering how distrusting Heath had been when they'd first met. "How do you know I won't abuse you like they did?" His hand fell from Heath's hair to his arm, pushing the sleeve of his shirt up enough to run his fingers over the scars. He would have to find something to fix that up later. Heath shouldn't have to have scars like that.

"Because you won't," Heath replied, stiffening slightly as he felt Legault touch the scars on his arm. He batted Legault's hand away, tugging his sleeve back into place. He just wanted to forget those scars were even there.

"Yes, but how do you know that?" Legault persisted, moving his hand back up to Heath's hair. Obviously, Heath hadn't liked him touching those scars. He hoped that Heath would at least let spread some salve on that arm later, to help the scarred flesh heal.

Heath pulled away, retreating a few steps. "…I just do," He said stiffly, crossing his arms over his chest. He was frowning, and Legault could see that he was trying to hide a hurt expression, but he couldn't quite keep it from reaching his eyes.

He followed Heath, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry." He apologized quickly, "I've brought back some bad memories, haven't I?"

"It's fine," Heath said shortly, shrugging Legault's hand away. He turned his back to Legault to stare out the window on the other side of the room, admiring the view.

"It doesn't seem like it's fine," Legault muttered, but dropped the subject. Circling his arms around Heath's shoulders from behind, Legault said softly, "And you're right. I'd never harm you." _Not on purpose, at least,_ he thought to himself grimly.

Heath nodded silently, continuing to simply stare out the window.

---------------------

"Will you leave my hair alone?" Guy asked, trying in vain to yank his braid out of Matthew's grasp.

Matthew grinned wickedly in response, fumbling for his keys with one hand while the other kept Guy's hair hostage, keeping the dark-haired boy on a short leash, quite literally. Unlocking the door, he pushed it open and walked in, Guy stumbling after him, mumbling curses under his breath. Honestly, why was Matthew so obsessed with his hair? It surely wasn't as nice as some other individual's...

They living room they walked into was not what they had been expecting. Rath was guiding Wil up the stairs, mumbling that this 'was not their place'. They disappeared up the stairs in mere moments. Hector stood by the table at the far wall, frowning in an unreadable way with the phone pressed against his ear. Eliwood stood next to him wearing a concerned expression, his posture and the way he clenched his hands tightly were practically screaming worry.

Serra was tugging on Hector's sleeve, asking over and over again what was going on. She stopped when he slapped his free hand over his mouth. After that, she fell still, knowing that this must be something of grave importance. Though she might not have acted like it, she knew there was a time and place to be silent, and this was almost certainly that time and that place.

With one last nod and a 'thank you', Hector placed the phone back down on the receiver. Turning, he caught sight of Matthew and frowned again.

Guy's braid hit his back with a thump as Matthew let go of it. The sandy haired man cocked his head to one side, staring at Hector with an unreadable expression in his amber eyes, "Hector…?"

Hector sighed, "Matthew, sit down." He gestured to the sofas that were scattered throughout the room.

Matthew stayed where he was, taking a step forward, "Hector, what's going on?" He asked, his voice now full of urgency.

This time it was Eliwood who spoke, "I'm afraid we have some...bad news..."

---------------------

Chapter Eight- End

-------------------------

::Glance:: Yeah, you all saw that coming. Still, had to be done. For plot reasons later on, and …well, yeah. You get the point. Update was long in coming, I know, but it couldn't be avoided. If you've been reading my LiveJournal or have seen the announcement in my bio, you know why. If you don't...well, there was some trouble with my computer, but it seems to be fixed now, so hopefully it's all over with.

A bit of a short chapter, I know, but I had problems with this one. I'm really looking forward to writing chapter ten, and eight and nine are a little harder for me because I have to slowly bring us up to the events of ten. And I'm sure you all know what's going on in that last bit...::Sigh:: Ah, well, everyone knew this was coming eventually. I do have some stuff coming up that should hopefully be a surprise to most of you... (Aminec knows what's coming, I'm sure. After all, she's helped me with it. Once again, much thanks to her.)

Anyway, reviews are appreciated. Kicking me for the late update is allowed, even though the circumstances were out of my control.


	9. Pendulums and Chalk Circles

Author's Note: Ah, chapter nine. We're so close to the double digits now! Yes! Mwahahaha! And as for last chapter, an incredible amount of you guessed what happened. Except for one of you, who actually knew what happened for a while. Yay for Aminec, who helps ever so much with the plot. But enough of my ramblings. On with the chapter, right?

Disclaimer: So far, Amethyst Bubble has yet to gain the right to Fire Emblem. Shame, isn't it?

---

Something Wicked

Chapter Nine

By Amethyst Bubble

---

Rebecca frowned to herself as she closed the internet all the open programs and shut off the computer. She was beginning to reach the end of her rope. How many years had it been since she'd seen her brother? Or Wil, for that matter? Too many, she decided, slowly getting up from her chair and stretching. Fiddling with one of her braids, she walked over to the small kitchen of her family's apartment.

Catching sight of a photo of her brother and herself that hung on the refrigerator, she stopped dead in her tracks. There they were, the two of them, smiling and waving at the camera. She could not have been older then five in the picture, one of her small hands clutching at her brother's larger one, the other outstretched in an ark above her head. She didn't know why that picture still made her cringe; it had always been there. It was nothing new.

Hanging her head and fixing her vision on the floor so she wouldn't have to look at the photo, Rebecca forced herself to keep walking. When she reached the refrigerator, she pulled the door open, and only then did she look up from the floor. With the door open, she couldn't see the picture anymore. Picking up a bottle of water, she closed the refrigerator door, once again making an effort not to look at the picture. She would have liked to take it down so she wouldn't be haunted by her brother's face any longer. Unfortunately, her mother would notice. Taking down the picture was out of the question.

Rebecca sighed as she carried the water back to her bedroom. She shut the door, wishing someone, anyone, would come home, so she wouldn't have to be alone any longer. Any distraction was a good one. She wanted to push Dan into the back of her mind and concentrate on just smiling and making everyone happy again. When she was the only one home, she couldn't do that.

Sighing heavily, she sat back down in the computer chair she had left just moments ago and resigned herself to her online search for clues about her brother's whereabouts. Maybe, just maybe, this time she'd get lucky.

---

"Do you think we should tell everyone... about Nils' vision, I mean," Ninian questioned, staring at Hannah with pleading ruby eyes. She fiddled slightly with one of the ribbons that adorned her hair, twisting it around her index finger.

The old woman scratched her chin, "...No." She said after a moment, shaking her gray-haired head. "It could have been a false vision. Nils has had those before." There was no need to alarm everyone. If they told everyone and then it turned out that Nils' vision was false, it could be a problem.

"But what if this isn't-" Ninian began, her voice filled with panic.

Hannah shushed her, "Don't fret about it yet, girl. Nils foresaw nothing we cannot overcome." Her voice was strong and firm as she tried to reassure the younger fortune teller. She wasn't the sentimental sort and she'd never been good at comforting people, but there was always a first time for everything.

Ninian folded her hands in her lap, trying to slow her breathing down to a normal rate, "I...I'm sorry."

Hannah tutted to herself, "Nils wasn't even as panicky as you and he's the one that had the vision." She muttered as she got up from her seat and began to pace. Even if she didn't sound like it, she was nervous too.

"I know..." Ninian said quietly. "I'm overreacting, aren't I? After all, there is no guarantee...Even the best of seers can not foretell tell the future with one hundred percent accuracy..." She wondered if that was the truth or if she was just trying to falsely reason with herself in order to stop her own panicking. At this point, she couldn't even tell the difference.

Hannah nodded, "That's true. And Nils certainly isn't the best. He's good, but he's still just a beginner." She continued pacing for the sake of just moving. She was old and her knees disagreed with this sudden movement, but she felt like she could not sit down.

It was a momentary relief when Erk walked into the attic. That is, it was until both fortune tellers noticed his grim expression and his pale face. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again, pressing a hand to his face.

"Erk?" Ninian spoke, tilting her head to one side, "What's the matter?"

Hannah stopped pacing, turning to look at the teenager. She said nothing, instead staring at him long and hard, daring him to speak up.

After a moment, he did. "I was sent to tell you," He began. "That...there's been an incident... Hector, Matthew and Serra...maybe some others, I think, they're going to the hospital right now... I ran into them on there way out and Serra told me what happened..." He paused, thinking about how to put his thoughts into words. "I just barely understood what happened through all her sobbing, but..." He trailed off; eyes traveling to the ceiling as he mentally debated how to say this.

"Well, what happened?" Hannah barked gruffly, "Stop beating around the bush and speak up, boy!"

Erk bit his lip, "...Leila was attacked, probably by witch hunters." He said slowly.

---

The ride to the hospital was a near silent one, punctuated only by the sound of Serra's soft sobbing. There was a total of five people in the car. Oswin had offered to drive seeing as neither Hector nor Matthew seemed to be in any condition to do so. Serra had insisted on coming and in her teary state no one had the heart to tell her no. And as for Guy, he was going because when Matthew had been informed of what had happened, he'd taken a hold of Guy's hand and gripped it so hard Guy was sure he was cutting off circulation. Of course, he hadn't told Matthew that. Even now, Matthew had yet to let go of his hand.

He chewed his lip nervously, glancing at Matthew. The usually cheerful man was extremely pale. He had barely said a word since he'd heard the news about Leila. Guy didn't know what to think of that. He had expected Matthew to be upset, angry, to at least show some emotion.

Placing his free hand on Matthew's arm, he sent him a concerned glance. Glancing down at him, Matthew managed to give Guy a small, strained smile. Guy wondered how Matthew could be so calm. He certainly wouldn't be so calm if this was someone he cared about. He didn't even like Leila, and he was still upset.

"Are we there yet?" Even while devastated, Serra managed to be impatient. It would have been amusing, if the situation had not been so gravely serious.

"Almost," Hector replied gruffly.

Serra nodded quietly, playing with the strap of her seatbelt. After a moment, she spoke up again, "Is Leila going to be okay?" She asked in a voice that was close to a whisper. No one answered her. Guy stared at her with pity in his eyes. He felt bad for her.

He really hadn't liked Leila. She hadn't liked him either, of course. Still, what if she was...? He stopped himself, shaking his head. He couldn't think like that. That couldn't happen. It just couldn't. Leila would be fine. She had to be.

He felt guilty. How many times had he wished she would just disappear? Now she was hurt...Actually hurt, and he felt so guilty. He knew his wishing couldn't have actually lead up to this. That was impossible. Besides, he'd never been serious. He would have never have wished for something like this to happen.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Hector, who announced in the same gruff voice he'd answered Serra's question that they were there. Matthew slid out of the car quickly, finally letting go off Guy's hand. Guy followed him, wanting to reach out and take Matthew's hand again, to offer some sort of comfort, but he feared that would be out of line.

In a few quick moments that seemed more like a movie then real life, they were inside the hospital, Oswin and Hector were talking to the receptionist while Matthew silently hung back and Serra bounced nervously from one foot to another, tear streaks visible on her cheeks.

They were directed to a waiting room on an upper floor and told to wait there. Oswin was silent as he looked around. Hector couldn't keep still; he paced back and forth across the waiting room floor, Serra following, trying to keep up with his longer strides. She looked as if she was about to cry again. Matthew leaned against the wall, obviously too stressed to do much else. Not knowing exactly what to do and feeling very out of place, Guy went and stood next to him, reaching out and brushing his fingertips against the taller male's arm. Matthew glanced down at him and tried to smile, but failed. He reached out and gripped Guy's wrist tightly, tugging the dark haired boy against him. Guy wished that Matthew had done this in a different situation so that he could actually enjoy it and not feel so anxious and maybe just a little bit guilty.

They stood like that for a while. In reality, it couldn't have been more then an hour, but it felt like so much more, as if the moments were going by in slow motion just to spite them. Finally, a man in a white coat, a doctor, approached them.

---

Wil leaned back against the wall of his room, thankful that the paint had finally dried. Reaching into the small velvet pouch out of boredom more then anything else, he pulled out the crystal pendulum that hung from the thin silver chain.

He wondered what was going on back there, when Rath had dragged him out of the room. His teacher had told him that it was not his place to know and left, presumably to his own room. He supposed that if Rath said it wasn't his place to know, then it wasn't his place to know and he shouldn't stick his nose into it.

"But all the same, I'm curious..." He said aloud, reaching up to brush his auburn bangs out of his eyes. As he placed his hand back down on the floor, he bumped into something. Looking down, he saw that it was a stick of white chalk.

"That's odd..." He mumbled, picking it up and examining it. He hadn't remembered bringing it into his room. Maybe Lyn or Florina had dropped it when they had helped paint his room? Well, he might as well use it to relieve some boredom.

On a whim more then anything, Wil drew began to draw on the hardwood floors, reminding himself to clean them later. He lightly traced a medium sized circle, making sure there weren't any gaps in it and smoothing it over with his fingertips. Once he was done with that, he marked the outside of the circle with anything he could think off, including clouds, flames and triangles. Finishing up with an eight pointed star in the center of the circle, he stopped and admired his work.

Tapping the chalk absentmindedly, Wil wondered what he could do with this now. It was a nice circle, but it really didn't have a purpose, did it?

Without thinking about it, he picked up the abandoned pendulum, swinging it lazily back and forth. The idea of hypnotizing himself materialized once again in his mind, but he decided that wasn't such a good idea. After all, how would he get un-hypnotized? Twisting the chain around his hand, he suddenly wondered if he could use the pendulum and the circle as a sort of ouija board (1). He figured there was no harm in trying.

Writing 'yes' and 'no' on opposite sides of the circle, Wil hung the pendulum over it, concentrating hard on the pointed crystal.

Then he remembered that for these things to work, you had to ask a question. Searching his mind for a yes or no question, he settled on a simple one, just as a test.

"Do you know who I am?"

Wil flicked his wrist so that the pendulum would move and gain momentum. The pendulum swung, slicing through the air that hung a few inches above the circle. After a moment, it began to slow down. It stopped, hanging over the middle of the circle.

Wil sighed; he hadn't actually expected it to work, but it was rather disappointing that it didn't. Ah, well, at least he tried. Maybe he'd go see if he could find Rath, or Guy or someone. If not, he could always explore the house a bit. Its winding hallways were still a mystery to him, and he would like to get to know it better. Making a move to get up, he stopped as he felt something tug at his hand.

Looking down, he was just in time to see the pendulum swing from center of the circle to the tree symbol adorning one side to the cloud symbol he'd drawn at the top and finally to the word 'yes', before coming to a standstill.

Wil blinked. It had ended on 'yes', so that was the answer to his question... _right_? He might as well assume it was. But what about those two symbols it had pointed to before it had landed on yes? A tree and a cloud. He racked his brain for some sort of meaning.

"Well, let's see..." He said aloud, "Trees are...erm, green and they have leaves and sometimes squirrels live in them and birds too, I guess..." Nope, he doubted that the pendulum's answer had anything to do with small woodland creatures. He mentally scratched 'squirrel' out.

"Um, okay...Trees grow in the ground...and the ground is earth so..." He blinked, "Wait, maybe it means earth?" That seemed logical enough. "And clouds are in the sky and the sky is associated with air..." He said, piecing together the meaning of the cloud symbol. "So, it was referring to my elements?" He asked himself.

Deciding the easiest way to find out was to ask the pendulum again. Taking it out and dangling above the chalk circle, he asked if that was what the circle had meant. Almost immediately, the pendulum swung to 'yes'.

---

When Heath finally talked Legault into releasing the shadows he'd locked the door with, they found Nino talking to Erk in the hall outside of the room they had just been in.

Hearing footsteps, the green haired girl turned around to look at both men with a sad look, "Oh, Uncle Legault...Have you heard?" She asked, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

"Of course I haven't. I've been in a locked room with Heath for the past half an hour," He said flatly in a 'heard what' sort of tone.

"Doing what, I wonder?" Erk asked dryly, raising his eyebrows.

Heath's eyes narrowed, "Talking." He replied, turning just faintest bit red.

"Someone has been injured!" Nino cried before anyone else could speak up, "Can't you all get your minds out of the gutter?" She really didn't get men. They were just so frustrating.

Legault tilted his head to one side, "What happened?" He asked, placing a hand on Nino's shoulder.

"Matthew's girlfriend..." Nino trailed, off, trying to match the face with the name in her mind.

"Leila," Erk put in, clearly remembering Serra's voice mentioning her to him in a one-sided conversation.

Legault frowned, "The girl with the red hair?" He asked. With so many people in one house, it became hard to keep track of everyone.

Erk and Nino nodded.

Heath stood behind Legault, listening silently to the conversation. He hoped Legault would fill him on who Leila was after this conversation was finished.

"So, what happened?" Legault asked, wondering why the whole house wasn't in an uproar yet. It couldn't have been anything serious if they weren't...Serious news spread like wildfire in a house full of teenagers and young adults who were just all too willing to gossip.

"She went out shopping today, I think," Nino began, pausing every so often as if she was making sure that she got all the facts correct. "And she was attacked...That's what Erk told me, at least." She glanced over at the purple haired boy.

Erk nodded, "It's what I discovered from Serra's hysterical sobbing on her way out...She was going with Hector and Matthew to the hospital."

"Ah," Legault said, not looking too worried. "Have we heard back from them yet?"

Erk shook his head, "No." He replied shortly.

"So we don't know what happened exactly or how she's doing?"

Again, Erk replied, "No."

Legault nodded to himself, "Well, I wouldn't worry much. If I remember correctly, she was a skilled fire witch, was she not?"

"I think so," Nino piped up, raking a hand through her short green hair. "Do you really think she'll be okay, Uncle Legault?"

The lavender haired man shrugged, "We won't know until they come back... but like I said, I wouldn't worry too much."

Erk turned around, "I should go tell everyone else...It's not good for people to be kept in the dark about these things." The news was going to spread one way or the other, and he preferred to know that people were getting the truth, instead of a mangled half-version of it.

Nino waved to him as he turned a corner. Turning back around, she looked up at Legault, "Isn't that horrible? I wonder what happened..."

"So, who exactly is she? That girl you were talking about..." Heath spoke up.

Legault smiled at him, "Oh, sorry. I forgot that you don't know many people here yet..."

"Well, I don't," Heath said. "Explain." He demanded, placing his hands on his hips.

Legault paused, "...I don't know her very well, if at all. Not sure if I've ever spoke to her. Leila's just...a girl. She's the girlfriend of another witch I'm acquainted with, Matthew... if they're still together, that is. Fire element, I think...or maybe her hair is just red." He shrugged, "I really don't know much about her."

Nino looked apologetic, "Neither do I. She's older then me, and we're different elements, so we never really talked... I've said a few words to her here and there, and she seemed nice enough...Oh!" She exclaimed, pounding a fist into her open palm, "I don't think she likes Guy much. I wonder why?" She always thought the dark haired boy was nice. Maybe he'd done something to get on Leila's nerves?

"I would think the reason would be obvious..." Legault said dryly, rolling his eyes.

Heath and Nino both sent him puzzled looks, and Legault waved them off with a shake of his head, "It's nothing. Just... something they have in common."

Nino tilted her head to one side, "And...Why would that make Leila dislike Guy? Wouldn't having a common interest bring them closer together?"

"Not this kind," Legault said with a chuckle. Sending a knowing look at Heath, Legault winked and said, "You know what I mean, don't you?"

A small smile, "I might. Of course, I don't know them, but from your words, the problem seems obvious enough." Heath replied.

"Hey!" Nino exclaimed, balling her hands into fists, "That's not fair! You have to tell me, Uncle Legault!"

Grabbing Heath around the waist, making the green haired male yelp and glare at him, Legault started down the hallway in the opposite direction from which Erk had gone, "Don't worry, Nino dear. I'm sure you'll figure it out if you just make a few observations."

Making a face, she headed after them, mumbling to herself, "I wish he wouldn't make everything sound so dirty..."

---

Placing both the pendulum and the chalk in his pocket, Wil rose to his feet with the intention of telling his teacher what had happened. Rath would be glad that he had finally gotten the hang of the pendulum. Stepping around the chalk circle that had become steadily more elaborate with various numbers and letters around it so that it might answer his questions more accurately, Wil left his room, shutting the door behind him.

Luckily, Rath's room was on the same floor, only a few hallways over. Wil found it easy enough to locate the right hallway, walking quickly in his excitement over what had happened. Finding the right door, Wil rapped lightly on it with his knuckles.

He received no answer. He frowned; Rath must have gone somewhere else. Hoping he wouldn't end up lost, Wil began to walk away from Rath's room. He stopped when he thought he heard a noise coming from the aforementioned room. Deciding to knock again, he got no answer other then a muffled yell.

Worried now, Wil reached for the doorknob, twisting it. The door opened just a crack, enough for the brunette to see what was going on in the room.

On one side of the room, the side closest to the door, stood a man Wil did not know. He didn't seem to be anyone who lived in the house, though. A sword was clutched in his hand and he looked angry. Very, very angry.

An equally angry looking Rath inhabited the space next to the wall on the other side of the room. Catching sight of the open door and the shocked face of his student, Rath growled, kneeling down and placing his palms flat on the ground, concentrating. Was it just Wil's imagination, or was the floor starting to move?

The stranger sprang to action, rushing towards Rath with his sword drawn.

Wil wasn't sure exactly what happened after that. He remembered panicking, the only thought in his mind being that he had to save Rath. The next thing he knew, a small whirlwind knocked the stranger off his feet, the sword flying out of his hand and skittering across the floor.

Rath stopped whatever he was doing, getting to his feet, throwing but one surprised glance at his equally surprised student. Dragging the stranger to his feet, he threw him into the room's walk-in closet. Shutting the door to the closet tightly, he pressed his palms against the crack between door and wall. When he removed his hand, the crack had been completely sealed over with clay.

The next thing Wil knew, Rath had grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down the hallway, saying something about being attacked and alerting the others.

---

"Erk?" Louise sent the teenager a questioning look as he walked into the living room. "Is something the matter?"

"I..." Erk paused, something catching his eye. Brushing a few locks of his purple hair back, he said quietly, "I'm sure it's nothing that they won't be able to tell you." He gave Louise a curt nod in the direction of the five that had just entered the room.

"Oh!" Louise put down her book, straightening her skirt before rising from her seat, "You're back." She walked up to them, "Pent told me what happened. I assume that Leila is all right?" She asked, smiling a gentle sort of smile.

At the blonde woman's words, Serra let out a wail, breaking into tears. Erk slowly approached her, wondering why he was doing this when he normally couldn't even tolerate her. Throwing her arms around his neck, Serra sobbed loudly into Erk's shoulder. He stiffened, awkwardly patting her on the back. He really wasn't good with girls. Especially crying girls. Crying Serra was even worse.

Louise's eyes widened, "...Is she...?" She trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence.

Hector grunted, looking ghostly pale.

Louise's hands flew to her mouth, "How...?" She shook her head, "Oh, no..."

A melancholy voice spoke up from the doorway, "She's gone, isn't she?"

Guy sent a sad glance at Priscilla, nodding silently. He couldn't speak. He was too overwhelmed.

Priscilla nodded back at him, "I had feared so..." She said quietly. "When Erk told me...I had hoped that the feeling that had been circling this house today was just a false alarm, but..." She drifted off, her green eyes taking on a glazed look.

Serra slowly let go of Erk, turning to Priscilla. She hesitated a moment, staring at the other girl, before she quickly strode across the room until she faced the red-haired girl, barely half a foot between them. Reaching out and gripping the other's shoulders tightly, she whispered hoarsely, "Priscilla? Priscilla, can you see her? Is she here? Did Leila come back here?" She asked frantically, staring into melancholy green eyes with haunted lavender ones.

Priscilla shook her head sadly, "I-I'm sorry, Serra...but her spirit isn't here." She wished she could tell Serra otherwise and act as a medium between the distraught people in the room and Leila's spirit, but she couldn't. Leila's spirit hadn't contacted her and she did not currently have the skills to contact Leila's spirit. (2)

Serra shook her head, "Liar! Where else would she be? She must have come back here! Priscilla, Priscilla, please! You must put us in contact with her! You have to!" Looking over her shoulder, she sought Matthew's eyes, "Doesn't she, Matthew?"

It was a moment before Matthew replied without looking at Serra, "You heard what she said. Leila's ghost isn't here. She can't put us in contact with her, Serra." His voice was a perfect monotone that revealed no emotion.

Guy glance worriedly up at him, wondering why he wasn't reacting to the news at all. When they'd been told, Matthew had barely said a word. All through the ride home, Matthew hadn't said a thing. He didn't even look upset; his face was void of emotion.

"How can you be like that, Matthew? You loved her, didn't you?" Serra cried, releasing Priscilla's shoulders. She balled her hands into fists, glaring at him from across the room.

Matthew said nothing, turning on his heel and walking out of the room. Guy hesitated a moment, wondering if he should give Matthew some space. Deciding that he was scared of what Matthew might do if left alone, Guy followed him quickly, giving everyone in the room one last glance before he rounded a corner. Matthew's current mood frightened him too much for him not to follow the older man.

"Perhaps it would be best if you sat down?" Oswin said to Louise. Nodding, she sank down onto one of the sofas, quietly folding her hands in her lap.

"I don't understand..." She said quietly. Oswin nodded in a sympathetic manner, silently admitting that he didn't quite understand either. Leila had always been such a strong, talented witch. She should have been able to fend off any normal attacker, or even a group of them. How could they have overpowered her in a public place such as a mall parking lot?

Serra sunk to the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest and burying her face in them. Priscilla quietly knelt next to her, gazing sadly at the older girl. Erk knelt down besides the normally happy pink haired menace, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Serra," he said quietly. "Don't cry, Serra. You're stronger then this." He'd never seen Serra like this, never once seen her cry. She was usually so headstrong and bold; he didn't believe it was possible for her to cry. She must have been very upset, he thought, more upset then they could know.

"No, I'm not." Was her muffled reply. "I'm really not."

Erk said nothing, removing his hand and instead placing it on Priscilla's arm, giving her a glance that told her that they should give Serra some room. Nodding, Priscilla straightened up, quickly followed by Erk. Together, they left the room, both occasionally throwing glances back at Serra. They parted, Priscilla heading after Matthew and Guy and Erk walking in the direction of the library, presumably to tell Canas what had happened.

All was silent for almost an hour, before loud, quick footsteps were heard and Rath entered the room, looking uncharacteristically panicked, a frightened Wil at his heels.

"The house in under attack," Rath announced, trying hard to remain calm.

---

Chapter Nine-End

---

(1) Everyone does know what a ouija (pronounced wee-jee) board is, right? They're those boards that people use to communicate with ghosts, or other spirits. They're usually decorated with symbols and letters, with a 'yes' and 'no' on either side of the board. Of course, you can always make your own makeshift one with a table and a glass, or a circle like Wil did. Mom's always talking about buying a ouija board off of eBay...We used to have one. Don't know what happened to it.

(2) Sorry if this isn't clear enough (I was trying to be vague, but there's a fine line between vague and downright unclear). Priscilla is a medium between this world and the spirit world. Or, in simpler terms, she can see ghosts, communicate with ghosts, etc. But only if they contact her first...

Hmm... Somehow, I know this could have come out better. But _someone _wanted me to update before January rolled around, so I had to rush. Oh, well, I don't mind getting this up before January. I'm cutting it extremely close though, aren't I? I hope this shows up before January. Happy New Year everyone!

Reviews are much appreciated. ::smile smile::


	10. The Attack, Part One: Defense

Author's Note: Nyaaa! I'm so sorry, taking so long to update! You can all throw tomatoes at me in your reviews if you want! The thing is, mom demanded I enter Tokyopop's Rising Stars of Manga contest, and blocked my writing privileges until I finished my entry. I managed to get it in the mail a day before the postmark deadline. :Sweatdrop: I'm a slow poke when it comes to those things. Rest assured, this isn't going to happen too often! Aminec makes sure of that. Don't kill me, everyone? And wish me luck with the contest, please.

Disclaimer: Amethyst Bubble does not own Fire Emblem.

-

Something Wicked

Chapter Ten

By Amethyst Bubble

-

"Hmm... No one in here," Louise mumbled to herself as she explored the library. She was either looking for people who had yet to learn of the attacks, or the attackers themselves. She wasn't quite sure what to do in this situation. It was all a bit too much for her to take in. First the death of Leila and now an attack on the house?

Suddenly, she couldn't help but wonder if this had been planned. Raising a hand to brush a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, she frowned. It would make a great deal more sense then to assume that both acts happened separately. Yes, first they had intended to shock them by the sudden death of one of their own, then strike while they were still stunned by that. The witch hunters had assumed that they would still be too shell shocked to fight back properly.

Louise's eyes narrowed a bit. Well, they would just have to prove them wrong, wouldn't they? She had confidence in all the witches under the roof of this house, and she had no doubt that they would be able to chase out the intruders quickly.

Maybe they'd even be able to get revenge for Leila.

"Yes," she spoke out loud to herself, unusually satisfied with the thoughts of revenge. "I suppose that would be in order."

In the distance, she heard voices. Frowning, she stepped back, hiding behind one of the shelves. She assumed witch hunters were approaching. Careful not to draw attention to herself, she began forming the liquid bow and arrows that were her specialty.

Footsteps were coming closer, and the voices, though hushed, were getting louder. Because of the hushed tones, she could not make out exactly who it was. Making sure she was completely hidden, she fitted a water arrow to her bow, holding it steady, just in case.

"You can't do this to me!" A child's voice whined. Louise frowned; had one of the witch hunters captured a younger witch of theirs? Her grip on her bow tightened.

"Yes, I can," A voice belonging to an older male replied. Louise peered out around the edge of the shelf, careful to stay hidden. She was just in time to see two figures pushed into the room. She recognized one of them as Nino. She had never seen the other one. He wasn't a witch hunter, was he? No, she shook her head. Nino showed no signs of being uncomfortable around him, and while she was a trusting person in general, she would know better then to trust a witch hunter. Seeing Legault in the doorway, she figured that the person who had been shoved into the room with Nino must be the man Legault had brought back with him. Erk had told her that he had met him.

"You two stay in here," Legault commanded, hand on the door. "I'll be back for you later."

"This isn't fair!" Nino protested, "I can fight, really I can!"

"You can't treat me like a child, Legault," Heath said, eyes narrowed in a glare.

Legault stared calmly down at them, "I'll be back in a little while. Stay here and be quiet." The door slammed shut. Nino tried the doorknob, just in case.

"He's locked it, hasn't he?" Heath frowned at the door.

Nino nodded, "Probably with his shadows too, so witch hunters can't break in. We can't get out until he gets back." She bit her lip, "I wish he'd let me go with him."

Louise called her magic back, the bow and arrows disappearing, leaving no trace except a thin mist in the air. "So," she spoke slowly, stepping out from behind the bookshelf with a kind smile. "We're locked in then?"

Heath and Nino spun around. Nino's look of panic quickly faded when she saw the blonde woman, but Heath's stayed in place.

"No need to be alarmed," She spoke more to him then Nino. "I'm not a witch hunter."

"Of course you're not!" Nino exclaimed, hands on her hips, "Heath, this is Lady Louise." She introduced the blonde woman to him.

"No need to be so formal," Louise shook her head. Turning to Heath, she explained, "My husband is the one who owns this house, and a few people have taken to calling me 'lady' because of that fact. But really," She smoothed some of her hair back. "Just Louise is fine."

"I'm Heath," He introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you," Louise smiled at him. "Not to be impolite, but was I correct in my assumption that Legault did indeed lock us in here?"

"Yes, he did," Nino answered, giving the door a glare. "I'm sorry you got locked in here too, Lady Louise." She apologized.

"Oh, well, don't worry. Someone else will take up my share of the fighting," She assured. "Though I suppose my husband may worry as to where I am. It'll do him some good to do so," She laughed lightly.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Heath questioned, looking rather worried.

"Of course they will!" Nino said strongly, "Everyone here is really strong! A bunch of witch hunters won't be able to defeat us when we're together!"

"Nino is right," Louise agreed with the small girl. "We have some very strong fighters here. They won't let a few attackers defeat them." She took a seat in an armchair that sat in a corner of the large room. "There's no use worrying about it," She said, gesturing that they too should sit.

Nino obeyed, sitting down in another chair, but Heath's eyes were fixed on something up high.

"... What is it?" Nino got up, craning her neck to see what he was looking at. Finally, she caught sight of it. A window, set high up. It was well above their heads, and the only way to get to it would probably be to stand on the desk conveniently seated under it.

Louise followed their gazes with mild curiosity.

"You don't think Legault locked that too, do you?" Heath questioned, looking down at Nino.

After a moment, she shook her head, "I don't sense any of his magic, and it's pretty high up. Even if he knew it was here, he probably wouldn't think that we would notice it." She met his eyes, her own blue ones sparkling slightly, "Should we use it to get out of here?"

He paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, he nodded, whether to himself or Nino, Louise couldn't tell. Nino seemed to think it was an answer to her question though, as she clapped her hands together, smile widening slightly.

Louise studied them slightly. This was a third floor library. They didn't actually intend to use that window to get out of the room, did they? As Heath climbed onto the desk with Nino cheering him on, Louise sighed slightly. She supposed they did. She didn't disapprove completely of it. She could understand why they were so desperate to get out of the room and fight. Though she didn't show it, she longed to go help her husband and Erk.

Though the window was set high up, it was in fact a large window. It wouldn't problem getting through it, Heath figured as he pushed the glass up, allowing the cool evening air to flow into the room. Placing his palms on the window left, he lifted himself up, swinging a leg over the ledge. Surprisingly enough, there seemed to be a sort of thin ledge beneath the window. Good, he thought. This was the third floor after all. Jumping from here to the ground would not turn out well.

He gazed down at Nino and Louise for a moment, before nodding to himself once again. He couldn't allow them to get hurt. Even if they had magic, he couldn't go on knowing he'd endangered a women and a child. Climbing out the window and placing one hand on the wall as he balanced precariously on the thin ledge, he called down into the room below, "I'm sorry, Nino, but I can't allow you to get hurt."

A mix of surprise and frustration passed over her face, "What do you mean?" She demanded.

Turning his gaze to the blonde woman, he said, "Please don't let her get into any trouble." With that, he reached up and shut the window, ignoring Nino's angry protests.

Louise nodded to him through the window, saying loudly enough that he could hear her through the glass, "I'll do my best."

Taking a deep breath, he took a step forward, not daring to look at the ground. Luckily, the ledge seemed to extend all the way around the edge of the house. He wondered if it had been built for this particular reason. At least something similar to this, he figured. He stopped as he came to another window. Looking in, he saw that the room was deserted. Good, he thought as he pushed the window open with limited difficulty. Luckily, none of these seemed to be locked from the inside. Climbing inside the room, he jumped to the ground.

Straightening up, Heath found himself in a room filled with weaponry of all sorts. He briefly wondered why a house filled to the brim with witches would need a room filled with weapons. Shrugging it off as an extra precaution, he turned and headed for the door.

There was no sound coming from the hallway, so there probably weren't any battles taking place out there.

Knowing it would be foolish to go out there unarmed, Heath grabbed a dagger that was on a table. Just in case, he told himself, not liking the feel of the hilt in his hand.

He opened the door and slipped into the hall.

First things first, he had to find Legault.

-

They'd been standing there for a while. Matthew was out on the porch, leaning against the railing and staring up at the sky. Guy was still inside the house, leaning half out of a window, eyes fixed on Matthew's back. Neither had said much. Matthew knew Guy was there, even though he hadn't turned around once and Guy knew that Matthew knew he was there. For a while, Priscilla had kept him company, but she had left a little while ago.

Fiddling with the edge of his dark green braid, Guy bit his bottom lip. He really didn't want to disturb Matthew, but he was scared to leave him alone. He'd never seen Matthew act like this, so eerily calm. All he knew was that he didn't like it one bit. It would have been better if Matthew had gotten angry. It would have been fine if he'd started yelling, swearing revenge for his dead love, or anything like that. Guy wouldn't have even minded if Matthew had shouted at him. He all ready felt guilty enough as it was.

He just didn't like the silence, that was all.

Maybe this was just the calm before the storm. Maybe Matthew would start getting angry or upset any second now. Guy had heard about people being too shocked to react to bad news immediately before, but... it had been a while, hadn't it? If that was the case, shouldn't Matthew have gotten over the shock by now?

He felt something tug at his braid and looked down to find that his water sprites had gathered on the windowsill. He pressed a finger to his lips in a 'shh' sign, telling them silently to be quiet. They stared from him to Matthew quizzically, but obeyed all the same.

Unable to repress a sigh, Guy's gaze traveled upward to stare at the moon, rising above the tops of the trees that shielded the house from view. They really had been standing there for a while, hadn't they? He hadn't been able to see the moon when they'd first gotten here. He felt restless suddenly, and fidgeted with his braid some more.

Matthew must have felt the same way, he thought, as the sandy haired man moved for the first time in a while, scuffing the wooden floor with his shoe. It was a small movement, but it was some what comforting. It assured him that Matthew was still alive.

Of course Matthew was still alive; he berated himself for being ridiculous. He was worrying too much. He needed to calm down, really he did. He couldn't move from this position though, not until Matthew moved too. It wouldn't be right. He couldn't abandon Matthew now. He would just have to stand here like this until Matthew was ready to return inside.

Still, he wished Matthew would at least _say _something.

"Why don't you stop leaning out of the window like that and go inside, Guy?" Dark eyes shifted back towards Matthew's figure, surprised that he had spoken. Matthew still hadn't turned around, "You must be cold."

He hesitated a moment before replying, "No." He wouldn't return inside and he wasn't cold. It was summer after all, why should he be cold?

Matthew nodded slightly, but didn't speak after that. Guy resigned himself to another uncomfortable period of silence, leaning more heavily on the window as he frowned at nothing in particular. He wasn't angry with Matthew... maybe just a little bit annoyed. This couldn't be a good way to handle grief.

The sky on the horizon was still tinted with shades of pink and orange, but it was navy over head. Guy idly wondered what time it was. It was summer, so the sun set late. It was probably far past dinner time. He wondered why he wasn't the slightest bit hungry.

His sprites were getting restless as they flitted around his head, occasionally flying off to circle the room. He couldn't blame them. He was getting restless himself. He couldn't leave, though. He just couldn't.

While he was watching one of his sprites do a flip in midair, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Whipping his head around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Shrugging it off as either paranoia or a squirrel, he rested his chin in his palms, fixing his eyes on Matthew's back. Something was wrong, he thought suddenly, watching Matthew closely. The other's posture was tenser then before.

Something flitted between the trees, fast enough that Guy only saw a blur.

Frowning, he left his position at the window and pushed the door to the porch open. Turning slightly, amber eyes flitted over to him and Matthew motioned for him to come closer. Guy came forward until he stood next to Matthew.

"What's going on?" He asked quietly, leaning forward over the railing to get a better look at the trees. Whatever had been there moments before was either hiding behind one of the trees, or had moved on.

"You saw 'em, didn't you?" Matthew hissed back, "There's someone hiding behind the trees."

A thought struck Guy, "Witch hunters?" He questioned, panic flashing in his eyes. Were they being attacked? How had they found the house? It wasn't listed anywhere, Pent had made certain of that. No one outside of the house even knew it existed.

Slowly, Matthew nodded. "Most likely," He said shortly, grabbing the back of Guy's shirt and pulling him away from the edge of the railing. "Be careful."

"So, we're under attack?" Guy questioned, even though he all ready knew the answer. There was a difference between knowing it and hearing it from someone else.

A nod, "My bet is that there are a couple hunters in the house right now, and these guys are just sneaking in the other way." Matthew frowned as something moved behind the trees. "Wish they would hurry up and attack. This is frustrating."

_So says the man who stood and said nothing for who knows how long,_ Guy had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Should we go get help?" He asked, making a move as if to head for the door.

"Nah," Matthew shook his head. "There's only two or three coming this way at the most. We should be able to handle them."

"If you say so," Guy said, feeling anxious. Still, he couldn't help being a little bit happy that Matthew seemed to be back to his confident self.

-

"Serra, please!" Lucius said, feeling just a little frustrated, "We have to go! You can't stay here like a sitting duck!" Taking her hand, he tried to pull her to her feet, but she remained where she sat. Cursing his lack of physical strength, Lucius wondered where Raven was when he needed him, "Serra, we're under attack! Please, come with me!" He begged.

"No!" She protested, glaring up at him with red-rimmed eyes, "Just leave me here! I don't feel like running right now."

Lucius half heartedly wondered why he wasn't surprised that even a grief stricken Serra was somewhat selfish. Tugging at her arm in an attempt to get her to stand up, he repeated his plea.

"Lucius! Leave me alone!" She shouted, "If you want to get out of here, go by yourself!" She yanked her arm out of his grip.

"Serra..." Brushing some of his long hair back, Lucius knelt down before her. "Please, come with me. I understand that you're probably not up to much right now, if anything at all, but you can't just sit here in the middle of the living room waiting for doom to strike."

"And why not?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly, "I'm my own person. I can do whatever I wish."

Lucius was _this _close to screaming in frustration, "Please, Serra, just come with me... We'll find somewhere safe for you to hide and sit out the fight..." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

She frowned, "Hide? Why would I hide?" She had said that she didn't want to move or run. Hiding was a whole other matter.

"I-I don't know!" He stammered, wishing she wouldn't be so difficult, "It's just that you don't seem to be up for much, so I assumed that you wouldn't want to fight..."

Apparently, he'd guessed wrong. She stood suddenly, dragging him up with him, "I'll fight! I have to get revenge for my friend, don't I? I'm going to take out the first guy I see!" As she strode confidently to the door, Lucius sincerely hoped that she was only speaking about the witch hunters. He also wondered what had happened to the solemn, depressed mood she had had moments ago. Deciding that he was better off not knowing, he quickly followed her, hoping to meet up with Raven.

"So, where are they all?" Serra demanded as he exited the room.

"Oh..." He trailed off, wondering exactly how to put this. "Well, I don't exactly know... I ran into Lyn a little while ago, and she had said that she had seen about three, but there are probably more..."

"Well, we're going to find some and teach them not to attack us!" Serra placed her hands on her hips, surveying the hallway.

Lucius was starting to miss the sad, quiet Serra that had been around moments before. Why had he gone and messed with that? A door swung a little while down the hall swung open forcefully, banging into the wall. Not waiting to see who stepped out, Lucius grabbed Serra by the arm and pulled her around the corner.

"Why don't we go find everyone else?" He said quietly as she glared at him, but followed him down the hallway none the less.

-

Minutes after the attack had been announced, Rath had decided that it would be better not to let Wil be involved in any sort of fighting. Unlike Legault, he did not lock Wil up in a room. Instead, he left him with two other witches that he deemed responsible enough to make sure he didn't get into any sort of fights.

"Shame that we had to beat up a pretty girl like that," Sain commented with mock sadness as he watched a female witch hunter flee down the hallway, clutching a broken arm and sporting several severe burns.

"Be quiet, Sain," Kent said, raising a hand to his head.

Wil stood behind the two of them, "I don't understand..." He looked puzzled. "Why'd you let her go?" They were being attacked, weren't they? Then shouldn't they, well, _eliminate_ the attackers? He shuddered. He didn't like the idea, but it seemed to be the only thing to do in this situation.

Kent smiled slightly at him, "We're under command not to kill." He explained as he gestured that they should keep moving.

"We don't want to sink to their levels." Sain put in, looking uncharacteristically serious.

"If you don't kill them, how do you they won't come back?" Wil asked.

Kent and Sain exchanged looks for a moment, as if in a silent conversation, before Sain started to explain, "Well, we've never... really been attacked before." He said sheepishly. "But Lord Pent's instructed us not to kill, but rather to just chase them away."

"At least," Kent said after a moment. "We haven't been attacked in this house."

Wil blinked. Not in this house? That meant there had been a house before this one, didn't it?

As if reading Wil's mind, Sain began to speak again, "Y'see, about five years ago, Lord Pent and Lady Louise owned another house for witches, so they could get schooled in their magic, and protected from witch hunters. There weren't quite so many of us back then, so the house was a little smaller then this one."

"So what happened to it?" Wil asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Witch hunters burned it down," Kent said gruffly, frowning deeply at the memory.

Sain nodded, "By the time the fire was put out, the house was a real mess. On top of that, someone had seen the smoke and called the fire department. A news crew followed closely on their heels." He paused to take a breath, "That was a worse mess then the house itself, seeing as it's better for us if we go unnoticed."

"Why?" Wil asked.

Kent took it as his turn to explain, "A good deal of us are runaways."

Wil winced slightly, seeing as he himself was one- more or less. Well, that certainly made sense.

"Besides," Sain said. "A gigantic house in the middle of nowhere populated almost entirely by teenagers, who no one in the surrounding area has any recollection of seeing before? If I was a police officer, it would sound pretty fishy to me."

"After that, Lord Pent decided it would be better for us not to stay in that area any longer. So we moved to a more secluded place, and we've all been very careful not to draw attention to ourselves, so we won't be noticed by witch hunters." Kent frowned, "I really would like to know how they found us."

Wil silently nodded, absorbing all that he had just heard.

"You don't think these are the same people who killed Leila, do you, Kent?" Sain asked suddenly, staring at the red head.

Kent was silent for a moment before he shook his head, "I'm not sure, but it's certainly a possibility."

"Well, just pretend they are for a second," Sain said. "You don't think they could have found the address somewhere on Leila, do you?"

Kent frowned, "You mean, if she was carrying it in her purse or something like that?"

Sain shrugged, "I dunno, it's just something that struck me. I mean, we've been _really_ careful. How else could they have tracked us down?"

"... I don't know," Kent said slowly. "Your theory would certainly explain how they tracked us down and the fact that they did it so fast after Leila was killed..."

Sain nodded, "See?"

"It's worth considering. When the fighting is done, you should offer this explanation to Lord Pent." Kent stopped short, and from ahead, footsteps were heard.

Sain heard them too. Turning to Wil, he motioned for him to move back, just in case it was another hunter.

-

"Two or three, you said!" Guy glared at Matthew as a witch hunter fell backwards, unconscious. As that one was rendered unable to fight, two more crept out of the forest.

"I was estimating!" Matthew defended himself, dusting off his hands.

Guy frowned, "And I'm unarmed, too!" Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the newest duo of witch hunters approach. One of them seemed to be carrying a sword. Guy really hoped that the one that appeared to be weaponless wasn't concealing a gun. That would certainly be a nasty experience, although he was certain that Matthew could disarm him before he managed to pull the trigger.

"You're a witch, aren't you?" Matthew hissed at him, "Use magic, dammit."

"I'm sorry that I don't have the same amount of talent for offensive magic that you do," Guy grit out, but readied a sphere of water all the same. "I'll just soak them into defeat," He muttered sarcastically to himself, feeling rather pathetic. Still... Matthew seemed to be almost back to his usual self. So maybe this attack had a bright side to it. Maybe.

Oh, great, the one with the sword was heading his way. He really wished he was gripping the hilt of his own blade in his hands right now; it was his favorite weapon, after all, and he was so much more skilled at it then magic.

Matthew was heading to the other side of the porch to take care of the hunter over there, so Guy supposed he was on his own with the other one. Well, it was just a one on one match, right? It shouldn't be so hard.

So why was it, his panic stricken mind had sarcastically wondered mere minutes later, that he was lying flat on his back, staring up at the witch hunter, who raised his sword high in preparation to strike.

-

Chapter 10- End

-

Cliffhanger! I love these things. Next chapter should be up very, very soon. Hopefully.

This chapter is dedicated to Miserikordi, who was our hundredth reviewer. Thanks, Miseri!

Speaking of reviews, we hit the hundred review mark! And passed it! And then hit the hundred and ten review mark!... I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it. :Sniffle: Thanks for all your support everyone, and I hope that you continue to read and enjoy this fanfiction. Your reviews make me so happy.

Review please!


	11. The Attack, Part Two: We're not them

Author's Note: I... honestly meant to update before this. But... stuff came up, and... well, at least I'm updating now, right? Well, my updates should probably speed up soon, seeing as Passover is coming up, and that means I'm off bread for a little over a week... Carb withdrawal and frustration makes me write. o.o At least, it has for the past two years. Anyway... I still can't believe how many reviews this fic has gotten. Is it really that good? It's just... wow. Yeah, I'm not making much sense right now, am I? Well, anyway... Read on! Enjoy! Review! And so on!

Disclaimer: Amethyst Bubble does not own Fire Emblem.

* * *

Something Wicked 

Chapter 11

By Amethyst Bubble

* * *

Maybe climbing out that window hadn't been the best idea in the world. Heath grumbled to himself as he found himself in another impossibly long and confusing hallway. Hadn't he come this way before? He frowned, tapping his foot against the ground in annoyed manner. He'd never find Legault if he just kept wandering around like this, but what else was there to do? 

What this house really needed was maps, Heath decided. Lots of maps, posted on the walls every so often, with little markings to show you where you were and where the infuriating man you were searching for was.

Luckily enough, he had managed to avoid running in to any witch hunters so far. Still, he hadn't seen anyone else either, which was just a tiny bit eerie, considering how many people lived in this house. He should have met someone by now, regardless of how large the building might be.

Well, it was better to have met no one then to have met some witch hunters, Heath decided as he moved forward, into another hallway. The more he thought about it, the creepier it was to have seen absolutely no one ever since he left the library. Could it be that everyone had just killed each other and that there was no one left alive in this place? No, there would be bodies lying around if that was the case. Besides, the attack hadn't been going on long, at least from his own calculations, so it that couldn't be possible. Not even in a house full of magic.

He'd reached about the middle of the hallway when something that sounded like an explosion shook the ground. It was quickly followed by a flash of something that looked like purple lightning- Heath could only see it through the crack of one of the doors- before a strangled yelp. Instinct shouted at Heath to turn tail and run back down the hall, but a strange fascination he didn't completely understand kept him in place.

Well, this wasn't good.

Out of the room stepped a purple haired man; Heath recognized him as the same man from earlier, the one who had examined his eyes so... intently. He shuddered slightly and wondered why he _still _wasn't trying to head in the other direction. At least he wasn't a witch hunter, Heath grumbled to himself, only half trying to stay on the so-called "sunny side of life". He really wasn't very good at being an optimist. He wasn't completely sure he wouldn't rather meet a witch hunter then this guy.

"Oh," the man seemed to have finally taken notice of Heath. It bothered Heath slightly that he couldn't remember the man's name; he was sure he had been informed of it. Well, details like that tended to slip peoples minds a lot. The guy probably didn't even remember him, anyway.

...Dammit! The guy probably didn't even remember him! Heath's eyes widened a fraction. If he didn't remember him, he'd probably think he was a witch hunter! Without Legault or Nino to offer their word that he was not, he was doomed. After all, who would believe his words if they thought him a hunter? Well, this was it; he was a dead man.

"Aren't you that fellow... the one Legault brought back with him upon his return?" Okay, maybe he wasn't dead quite just yet.

He relaxed slightly, "Yes, actually." He replied as calmly as he could, "I don't suppose you know where he is? Legault, I mean." He had to ask, after all.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I haven't the slightest idea," The other replied with a polite smile. "I don't believe I've properly introduced myself. I'm Canas."

"Heath," He replied.

"Ah," Canas nodded to himself, straightening his sleeves slightly. "Well, why don't I help you find Legault?" He offered, "After all, it's not very safe for you to be wandering about alone, what with the attack... And am I correct in assuming that you aren't magically gifted?"

Heath's brow furrowed, "W-well, yes, but-" He was cut off by Canas, who raised a hand.

"There are certain signs, if one knows what to look for." He said, motioning for Heath to follow him.

So that was what he had been doing. Still not feeling entirely comfortable, Heath followed the purple haired man. Well, what other choice did he have in the matter? He needed to find Legault, and here was someone- someone with _magic_- willing to help find him.

He was going to kill Legault. Provided, of course, the witch hunters didn't.

* * *

It had been such a simple plan. All they had to do was defend themselves and _not get killed_. How come things never went as planned? 

It was really unfair; didn't he deserve a bit more of a heroic death then this? Guy tried to slide backwards a bit, but it was kind of hard, being flat on his back, staring up into the cold eyes of his attacker, who was currently having his short, rather greasy looking hair tugged at by water sprites. Apparently, the annoyance wasn't enough to make him drop the sword in his hands to shake them off. Guy gulped; well, he was doomed.

He certainly hoped Matthew was having a better time then he was. Judging by that terrified scream, he was. It definitely hadn't sounded like Matthew who screamed, and Guy really hoped that if he was done with that other hunter, he could come and help him out a little. His attacker's eyes glimmered slightly and Guy mentally corrected himself. He needed a lot of help, not just a little.

He summoned up a small sphere of water, but he would have no chance to use it. The sword was coming down on him now and there was nothing he could do about it. He shut his eyes tightly and then instincts he hadn't known he had kicked in. He rolled to the left and away from the blade that fell and imbedded itself in the wooden planks of the porch floor. He opened his eyes and winced; that had almost been him.

Guy got to his feet quickly, making sure to waste no time. He opened his mouth to call for help, but no sound came out. He quickly closed it. The sudden disappearance of his voice wasn't going to help any. The only defense he had was the sphere of water in his hand and that wouldn't do him much good unless this man turned out to be allergic to water, which was less then likely.

With the witch hunter advancing on him, Guy did the only thing that came to mind. He cast every water spell he knew by memory that would work without a source of water nearby, and aimed all their effects at the hunter. The result was a very wet and annoyed witch hunter who wasn't too worse for the wear. The only really significant difference the spells had made was that one of them, a particularly strong curse that he could never create the full effect of, had managed to knock the sword out of the hunter's hands, sending flying some distance. The hunter didn't seem particularly worried about this. He abandoned the weapon entirely and kept advancing.

"Dammit..." Well, at least Guy had found his voice again, though it really wouldn't do much. It was times like this (though in all honesty, this was the only "time like this" he'd ever experienced and hoped it stayed that way if he lived through this) he really hated water magic. It was always weaker when you weren't near a direct source of water.

He wished he had his sword. At least with the blade in hand, he might stand a chance. He had always preferred the weapon to magic. He backed up a bit as the witch hunter advanced on him. This was not good; any minute now, he'd hit the wall of the house and then he'd be cornered. Seeing the glimmer appear in the hunter's eyes again, he winced and took another step back, then another, until he was flat against the wall. He wished he'd been gifted with a darkness element instead of water so he could phase through this wall as if it weren't there at all and leave the witch hunter on the other side. It may have been the coward's way out, but what else was there to do? Better to berate yourself later for running like a scared kitten then to be killed by a witch hunter. That would be letting the witch hunters win, something that absolutely could not be allowed. Leila had been the first person this particular group had ever lost to hunters, and hopefully she would be the last.

Without taking his eyes off his attacker, Guy fumbled for the doorknob, prepared to try and make a quick dash inside. It was a risky move for many reasons. For one, he didn't know if he'd be able to move fast enough to safely get inside and slam the door closed before the hunter could follow him. For another, there was no way to tell what was waiting on the other side of the door. More witch hunters, for example. Still, he couldn't do nothing, could he? His hand found the doorknob a fraction of a second too late.

The moment his fingers closed around the brass knob, the witch hunter's fingers closed around his throat. Guy's eyes widened as he choked; how had he closed the distance so quickly? He closed his eyes tightly. Well, this was it, he was going to be strangled to death. How pathetic, he thought to himself rather sulkily.

It took him a few seconds to realize that he wasn't dead, nor was he in the process of dying. In fact, he wasn't even being strangled anymore. Sure, there were fingers around his throat, but they weren't tightening in the slightest. He could still breathe reasonably easily. He opened one eye and found that the hunter himself seemed to be frozen. He spotted the blackish purple aura that now surrounded the man and realized why immediately.

"Guy!" Matthew swept his hand, coated in the same aura, to the left and the witch hunter fell over that way, his hands leaving Guy's throat. Guy slumped forward slightly, gripping the doorknob tightly to keep himself standing. "Are you okay?" Amber eyes blazed with anger that the dark-haired teen was relieved to see was directed at the hunter, not him.

"Well, I-I'm better now," He replied as calmly as he could, straightening up. "What'd you do to him?" He asked, staring at the prone body of the hunter. "You didn't... _kill _him, did you?" He glanced at Matthew, worried. It was against their rules, their morals, to kill. Even hunters weren't exempt from this rule.

"Not yet, I didn't," Matthew growled, walking forward and delivering a sharp kick to the man's side. The hunter yelped sharply and Guy's worries were momentarily put to rest. Well, at least he was still alive. Though with Matthew's current mood, it might not stay that way. "Hey, you," Matthew kicked him again and Guy winced. "How'd you find this place?"

"D-don't know," The man seemed to be gasping for breath. "W-wouldn't tell i-if I did."

Matthew frowned. "Well, then you're of no use to us, are you?" He said, voice filled with mock sweetness. "I might as well dispose of you." He raised his hand, summoning more shadows into his grasp.

"Matthew, stop it!" Guy gripped the other's arm tightly, halting his gathering of magic. "We don't kill, remember?"

It was then that Matthew rounded on him, an expression of pure fury on his face, "_You _could have been killed!" He shouted, tearing his arm out of Guy's grip. "I could have lost both you and her in the same day! Do you think I can let that go unpunished?"

Guy felt like shrinking back under Matthew's glare, but instead, he reached out and took hold of the other's arm again, "Matthew," His voice was surprisingly calm and he almost didn't recognize it as his own, "We do not kill. We are not them, so we will not sink to their levels." Blue eyes sought amber as Guy locked his gaze with Matthew's. "Let him go," He instructed. "He can't fight back anymore."

Matthew didn't reply right away, and for a moment, the only sounds were his angry, ragged breathing and the witch hunter's strained gasps. Then, Matthew, muttering obscenely to himself all the while, drew back the majority of the black aura that had encased the hunter.

With a yip of glee, the hunter tried to get to his feet again, but found himself still unable to move.

Guy frowned at Matthew, "You're _not _allowed to kill him!" He ordered, sounding like a mother speaking to a disobedient child.

"And I'm not going to," Matthew's said, obviously trying not to sound frustrated, "But we can't just let him go when we have so very many questions to be answered, can we?" He reached over and tugged lightly on Guy's braid.

Well, Guy sighed, swiping at his bangs, he supposed he couldn't disagree with that.

* * *

Nils watched silently from his seat at the small table commonly used to card reading as Ninian scurried about, making sure all the doors and windows were locked securely. Hannah followed at a much slower pace, checking things after Ninian had to make sure that the younger fortune teller had done a good job locking up. 

"What about everyone else?" Nils asked as Ninian bolted last of the windows shut.

"Ah," Hannah interrupted, taking a seat next to Nils. "They're all young, spry and reasonably good with their magic. They'll be fine." The old woman closed her eyes and leaned back, "Us fortune tellers, on the other hand, aren't blessed with good offensive skills, so it's best if we stay out of brawls."

Ninian nodded, "You're much too young to be involved in fights, Nils, and Hannah is much too ol..." She was cut off as the senior mystic opened one eye and glared harshly at the blue-haired girl. Ninian quickly rephrased her sentence, "Hannah is much too important to fight. As for me, I've never been good with offensive or defensive magic." She sighed. "It's a little disheartening that we can't do anything to help them, but we mustn't risk our own lives. I'm sure everyone'll be fine."

Nils swung his legs back and forth uneasily, "Well, if you say so..." He fixed his gaze on the table.

"The only negative news I've been able to pick up on for today is that it's going to rain soon." Hannah said suddenly, "And if something terrible were to happen, then that young one... the ghost-seer... what's her name now?" She scratched at her chin.

"Priscilla," Nils put in.

"Right, right..." Hannah refolded her hands in her lap, "Priscilla would have told us so. Now," The old woman looked at Ninian. "Make yourself useful, girl, and get me some tea." She pointed a bony finger at the small stove across the room, half-split off from everything else by the many curtains that separated the attic into different chambers.

"All right," Ninian obeyed without question. "I'll be back in a moment."

Hannah waited until Ninian was behind the curtains and out of earshot before turning to Nils, "All right, boy. I didn't want to say anything around your sister, because she'll insist it's traumatizing for you, being so young and all. Bah, but that's not the truth. You're not a baby anymore and I want you to tell me exactly how much of this fight you've foreseen." Her eyes flicked back over to the curtains, to make sure Ninian wasn't trying to listen in. No, it appeared that the young woman didn't have any idea that they were even talking.

"How much of it...?" Nils tilted his head to the side, "Well, I don't really know. It kind of went by fast so I couldn't catch most of it."

"Just tell me what you were able to see," Hannah insisted gruffly.

"Well, if you insist..." Nils began drawing patterns on the wooden table with his index finger. "It's not too clear. I just knew that we were going to be attacked. And who else would attack us besides witch hunters?" He looked up, pausing to take a breath, "I don't think anyone will be injured, besides maybe a few scratches. The fight won't last too long. It'll be over by midnight tonight. That's... really all I can tell you." He paused again, before saying, "Oh, and Hannah...? You're right. It'll start raining soon."

"Of course I'm right," Hannah scoffed. "I'm always right, boy."

They fell silent as Ninian approached, balancing a cup of tea on a saucer. "You don't want anything, do you, Nils?" She asked, setting the tea down before Hannah.

Nils shook his head, "No, I'm fine."

"Very well then," Ninian said, taking a seat.

Silence fell as Hannah drank her tea. It was definitely an uncomfortable silence, and they all kept glancing at the doors and windows from time to time, as if expecting hunters to break in.

It was then that the knocking started. It startled Ninian so much that she jumped up, overturning her chair. Nils got up too, clutching at his sister's arm. Hannah tried to keep her wits about her as she slowly put her teacup down before rising from her seat, grabbing the crystal ball in the middle of the table. That way, if anyone tried to mess with her, she could just smash their head in.

"Now, now," Ninian's voice was hushed as she edged forward carefully, Nils stumbling after her. "It's not necessarily a hunter... It could be one of the other witches coming to check on us." She reached out and laid a hand on the bolt that locked the door, prepared to slam it shut again if it was someone who wished to do them harm. No, she tried to convince herself, how would anyone else have found the passage to the attic? It was so well hidden, no one who didn't live here could find it...

It turned out that she was right.

"Are all of you okay?" Eliwood panted, apparently having run up the steep stairs. "Hector and I, we've been going around making sure that everyone is still... well, alive, and I came to check on you."

Nils immediately let go of Ninian's arm, "We're doing fine so far!" He chimed in, glad that it was a friend instead of a foe. Though both siblings had calmed when they saw the red-headed witch, Hannah flatly refused to put her crystal ball down. A woman needed a way to defend herself, after all!

"May I ask how things are going downstairs?" Ninian ventured, ushering Eliwood inside.

He smiled, "Oh, it's not so bad. There aren't so many hunters, and we've managed to get some of the younger witches into secure places where they can wait out the fighting." He paused, "Though no one's seen Louise in a little while, and Pent and Erk are rather worried about that."

"Oh, I hope she's all right," Ninian said, tone laced with worry.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Eliwood gave her a comforting smile. "Louise can take care of herself, as she's demonstrated on several occasions."

"Well, all the same..." Ninian turned slightly until she faced Hannah, "Would you mind doing a reading for Louise?" She asked. "I'd do it myself, but... I'm rather nervous right now, and I don't quite know how that will affect the clarity of my readings."

"All right, all right," Hannah grumbled, finally placing the crystal ball back on the table. "Come, boy," She gestured to Nils. "Help me find my cards and Louise's information..." He quickly ran across the room to a file cabinet that lay against the wall. Pulling out a drawer, he began searching through the files marked 'L'. "Umm, here's Legault..." He muttered to himself as he flipped through them.

"So organized," Eliwood smiled.

Ninian nodded, "Well, for a while, Hannah had a filing system based on everyone's lunar signs (1), but even she couldn't remember them all, so it was quite troublesome to find the information. Eventually, Nils took matters into his own hands and rearranged the filing system in alphabetical order. Hannah swears she liked it better her way, but I think that she just doesn't want to admit that someone else's way is better then hers."

"You know, for a girl with such a soft voice, it really does carry," Hannah said with mixed amusement and annoyance as she hobbled back towards the table, a deck of cards clutched in her hand.

"What deck are you going to use?" Ninian asked, "Tarot or medicine?"

"My goddess deck.(2)" Hannah answered, shuffling the cards together with surprising skill. When she felt the deck was ready, she laid it on the table so the cards faced downward, and then spread them out in a fan shape. "Nils, don't you have those papers yet?" She snapped.

Nils nodded, scurrying up to Hannah and placing a few sheets of paper in her hand. "Sorry," He apologized. "It turns out hers were right next to Pent's, under 'R' for 'Reglay'. I thought they were under 'L', for Louise..." He trailed off, "We really need to get those straightened out. I think they should go in alphabetical order by first name." He mumbled the last part under his breath.

"Nonsense," Hannah replied, having caught the young boy's mumbles. "You got your way on the alphabetizing, so let me do the rest as I please." She leafed through the pages, nodding to herself.

"I don't understand," Eliwood said suddenly. "Why do you need those papers to read Louise's fortune?"

Ninian shook her head, taking it up as her duty to explain, "It's really best to read for people in person, or perhaps over the phone, depending on the circumstances. Unfortunately, we do not currently know where Louise is. Nor do we have anyone extremely close to her, like Pent for example, or Erk, here with us. So instead we will have to try our best to channel some of Louise's consciousness, or... well, basically, we're trying to think how she thinks. Those papers would be her astrological data, including a full chart, with the positions of her planets and such. (3) We haven't read for people much using this method, but judging from the few instances in which we have, the results are favorable enough." She smiled, "I suppose that doesn't make much sense, does it?"

Eliwood smiled slightly, "Well, to be honest, no. But that's probably me... I'm not any good at understanding this kind of thing. I'm sure someone who had more of a feel for it then I do would have understood just fine..."

From her spot by the table, Hannah spoke up gruffly, "That's right, you never did have a talent for anything in the ways of fortune telling... Just basic magic for you." She pulled a card from the deck abruptly as she stopped speaking. "Hmm... Sophia... Wisdom. Well, she's a sharp one, that Louise..." She muttered to herself as she pulled another card. "Vila... Shape-shifting. Good at adapting to new situations. Good, good, so she will be quick on her feet."

"How many cards are you going to pull?" Nils asked.

"Just three," Hannah replied, plucking up a third card and holding it up to the light. "Hmm, Morgan Le Faye... Rhythms..." She scratched her chin for a moment, then put the cards down, sweeping them up into one pile. "Well, that's that."

"So, what does it mean?" Eliwood asked.

"They sounded like positive cards," Ninian said in a contemplative tone.

"Yeah, I mean, wisdom's good, isn't it? And shape-shifting too!" Nils put in.

"Shape-shifting? Like turning into animals?" Eliwood said. "I've heard of witches who can do that..."

Hannah shook her head, "Shape-shifting is a rare witch talent that takes many, many years for those who aren't blessed with a natural talent for it to learn. However, this card isn't speaking of actual shape-shifting, not really. It's speaking... oh, what's the word?"

"Metaphorically?" Nils suggested, trying to be helpful.

"That's the one. In other words, it means she can shift her personality to fit the situation she's in."

"Oh," Eliwood said. "I guess that makes some sense. I don't know how much it fits Louise, though... She always seems so kind..."

Ninian shook her head in amusement, "Please don't worry about it. Vila's a rather complicated card."

"And it's an odd combination," Nils said. "Vila and Morgan Le Faye. I mean, shape-shifting and rhythms?"

Hannah cleared her throat, shuffling the cards again, "It's a positive combination all together. While we can't say anything for certain about Louise, my instincts tell me she's fine."

"That's good to know," Eliwood smiled in relief. "I'll be sure to inform Pent if I run into him. Well," He turned and made a move for the still open door. "I guess I'd better rejoin the fray."

"Hey, look at this! It's a staircase! Was that here when we searched the hallway before?"

"Probably using it as a hiding space, the little rats."

"Come on, before they try to close it!"

All four witches froze as heavy footsteps pounded up the stairs.

"Eliwood?" Ninian was the first to speak up, "You forgot to reseal the passage, didn't you?"

* * *

"Excuse me for asking, but you haven't ever been put under some sort of spell, have you?" Canas asked. 

The two had been walking in silence for a while now. So far, they had seen no sign of Legault, but they had run into a few other witches, some of whom claimed to have caught glimpses of the suddenly elusive man. They had run into a few witch hunters, too, who Canas had been quick to get rid of with magic. Heath soon found out that the man had the same element as Legault.

"...I don't think so," Heath replied after a moment. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Canas brushed it off with a sweep of his hand. "It's just that there are traces of magic in your aura. It's another one of those things you can see if you've studied them enough." He smiled.

"Well, I don't think anyone's ever placed a spell on me or anything like that," Heath frowned. "Maybe Legault's magic rubbed off on me?"

Canas looked thoughtful, "It's not completely unlikely, and the magic does seem to mostly be of a darkness element." He paused for a moment, as if considering other options.

Heath waited silently, slightly annoyed at having his... aura... analyzed so. What was an aura again? He frowned. For someone so close to a witch, he honestly had no clue about most of these things.

"Your heritage... is it completely human?" Canas asked suddenly. At Heath's confused look, he tried to elaborate, "No vampire blood, or wood nymph? Anything like that?"

Rather uncomfortable with having to reveal this fact to a stranger, Heath reluctantly said, "Well, I'm supposedly part Fae."

"Fae, hm?" Canas murmured, "My, but that's rare. I suppose that might explain the magical traces in your aura."

"Erm, if you say so."

* * *

"Have you run into any trouble?" Rath asked. 

"Not really," Wil shook his head, quite glad to have finally met up with his teacher again. "I mean, we've run into a couple hunters, but Sain and Kent took care of the fighting. They're pretty strong!" He smiled at his teacher, "How about you? You've been fighting alone, haven't you? It must be hard, because most these hunters are in groups, right?"

Rath shook his head, "I've only fought a few. None of them were too difficult to overcome."

"Rath, are you going to be staying with us?" Sain asked.

Kent nodded, "Either way, we should start moving. It's not good to stay in one place for too long."

Wil was uncertain as to how three minutes counted as 'too long', but he supposed Kent knew more about these matters then he did.

"...No," Rath said after a minute. "It's probably best if I go separate from you."

"Well, we can cover more ground that way," Kent agreed with a nod of his head. "Good luck to you."

"Come on, Wil," Sain said, nodding towards the rather dark hallway in front of them. "See you later, Rath!"

Rath nodded brusquely, starting down another hallway.

"Hey, wait!" Wil called, taking a few quick steps to catch up with his teacher, "Rath, I know you said that you'd prefer if I went with Kent and Sain so I wouldn't be involved in any fighting, because you were sure that they could take care of any witch hunters that came our way-"

"Wow," Sain said in a hushed whisper to Kent. Both of them had stopped when Wil had said 'wait'. "He really thinks that highly us?"

Kent cast a withering look at Sain, "I'm sure I have no idea why." He said flatly.

"-but we really haven't faced any tough witch hunters, at least according to Kent and Sain, we haven't..." Wil paused to take a breath. "And you said it yourself, you haven't run into that many witch hunters. So, can I please go with you?" He looked up at his teacher.

"We're so disliked," Sain sighed quietly. Kent elbowed him, a silent way to tell him to shut up.

"It's just because," Wil added hurriedly, "That you're my teacher, and well, maybe it'd be a good thing if I could use some of my magic if we run into any witch hunters. It's kind of a practical training exercise, right?"

When Rath looked doubtful, Kent quickly said, "It couldn't hurt, Rath. In fact, he's right, it actually could be quite helpful with his training."

"Best way to learn is to do, in my opinion." Sain added with a grin.

"...I guess it can't hurt." Rath said, sighing in defeat. He brushed back a few of the strands of hair that escaped his bandanna and gestured to Wil, "Come. We've wasted enough time."

Mouthing 'thank you' to Kent and Sain, Wil set off after his teacher, seeming considerably happier.

Leaning slightly on the red-head, Sain sighed wistfully, "Isn't that sweet? Ah, to be young again."

"You are young." Kent sighed, shoving Sain off of him, "Come on, Rath's right. We've wasted enough time."

* * *

It was eleven o'clock and pouring rain when Fiora slammed the door leading to the balcony shut, her soaking wet hair and clothes dripping water on the floor. The witch hunter who was still out there pounded on the door, obviously enraged. Drawing the still air in the room behind her fingers, she soon created a net of air. It would have to serve as a barrier for now. She placed it in front of the door, just in case the hunter managed to break down the door. It was unlikely, but she couldn't take chances. After all, it had been hard enough to get him on the balcony in the first place. 

She sighed, summoning up a gust of hot air. It left her wet clothes and hair merely damp.

"That's better," She said, summoning more hot air to dry the carpet.

The door pounded again, reminding her that there was still a very angry witch hunter out there.

She frowned at the noise he was making before quickly walking out of the room. She didn't have time for this.

She wrapped more warm winds around herself as she walked, quickly removing any remaining dampness from her clothes. She really didn't like being wet much. She wasn't like her sisters, who loved the rain. She supposed it might have something to do with their element. They all had the same element, apparently a common family trait, but unlike her sisters, she'd never liked the rain, humidity, or air that felt wet in general.

She believed it had been Hannah who'd offered a suggestion. She vaguely remembered the old woman telling her something about it when she was young. Hannah had said that while all wind elements shared the ability of wind magic, they were divided into two categories. Fiora fell under the dry air category, while Farina and Florina fell under the other, the wet air category. Hannah had insinuated that it had something to do with how they handled their magic, which spells they would be better at, and what secondary element would be easiest for them to learn.

Fiora had picked up bits of fire magic very quickly, and she supposed that this must be the reason why. Likewise, both of her sisters had quickly picked up water magic when they had decided to try using magic from other elements. Fiora had been absolutely hopeless at water magic, and the first (and only) time Florina had tried a fire spell, she had been so shocked by the flame that she had put it out immediately with a miniature rain cloud she'd created.

Speaking of her sisters, Fiora hoped they were all right. She hadn't seen either of them in quite a while, not since that afternoon. She sighed. It was quite like Farina to run off by herself, but Florina? No, it wasn't like Florina at all. It was most likely she was fighting with Lyn, or perhaps Serra.

Still, with all the witch hunter attacks, she couldn't help but worry just a little bit...

"Fiora!"

The teal haired woman spun around to find Florina running towards her, surprisingly unaccompanied. There was a look of pure panic on her younger sister's face and Fiora had to take a few steps back so Florina could slow down enough not to crash into her.

"Florina?" She asked, placing her hands on her sister's shoulders, "Is something wrong? What happened?"

"I..." Florina began, trying to breathe.

"Did something happen to you? Or Lyn, perhaps?"

Florina shook her head frantically, "No, no, I'm fine! So is Lyn, too... It's just that..."

"Just what, Florina?" Fiora asked, wondering what could have Florina so worked up.

"I can't find Farina anywhere!"

* * *

Chapter 11- End

* * *

Yaaay, chapter eleven! This is the farthest I've ever gone with a fanfic... And it's all because of my wonderful readers. You guys make me so happy with your reviews. I'm honestly going to try to update more often, really I am. And I've even got my very own slave driver to help me. She knows who she is. 

And, uh, not much to say. It's raining and our windows have blown in. Not all of them, just the ones on the porch... and daylight savings time has rolled around, so I've had to adjust a lot of the digital clocks in the house because... Well, no one else seems to know how. I'm glad my computer clock adjusts itself. And my brother is terrorizing me with kites, plastic scythes and screaming... Oh, and the cat. Cannot forget that cat. The poor cat. I'll shut up now.

1. I'm going to go ahead and assume that everyone knows at least a little astrology. You know, star signs, Aries, Capricorn, Pisces... Anyway, for those that don't know, those are your sun signs. You also have moon signs, or lunar signs. So, uh, yeah. I have no clue if most people know this. This is what I get for having a mother who does this stuff for a living, isn't it? I'm now a magical smart-aleck. o.o

2. Everyone knows what tarot cards are, right? The deck of cards most commonly used for card readings? Well, you can also use medicine cards... I've got a deck of them somewhere... and the goddess deck is a special deck of cards featuring different goddesses. It's... a little difficult to explain. It's pretty much just a different deck of cards to read from. I actually had to borrow my mother's deck when I was having Hannah pull the cards. Needed to make sure that I had everything... reasonably correct. There's always some room for personal interpretation with card reading.

3. This is kind of like lunar signs. On a full astrological chart, it also displays what signs all the planets were in at the moment of birth. There are all sorts of personality traits involved with this, as well as other things. For example, I've got Mars in Gemini, while my sun sign (the main sign) is Scorpio.

This has been the (hopefully correct) astrology rant of the day. Eheh.

Review please!


	12. Transitions

Author's Note: So sorry for the wait, but... life has been a little hectic. But summer is here now! And despite mom's firm standing that I can finish a whole years' worth of school work in these short summer months (am home schooled, mom's stressing about college- which is far enough away, thank you very much- and I'm on a sort of academic treadmill as it is), I have free time again! Yes! I shall be able to write more and update quicker! So please don't hurt me.

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own it.

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to the lovely Avi17 ('cuz she drew me fanart. X3)

* * *

Something Wicked

Chapter 12

By Amethyst Bubble

* * *

"As far as we can tell, there have been a total of three fatalities resulting from tonight's... battle, if you will," Ninian spoke softly, rather carefully. All eyes were fixed on her, tense, waiting. Exactly who had those fatalities been?

It was three in the morning. The fighting had ended a while ago, but it had taken some time to round everyone up.

"Luckily enough for us, all of those fatalities were on the hunter's side." Ninian said with a small smile. A sigh of relief passed over the room.

"The first known attacker, the witch hunter who had attacked Rath, was found dead." Ninian explained, "He committed suicide via poison, presumably so he wouldn't be tortured for information after the battle was over. The second was suffocated by Matthew's magic."

"Hey," Matthew spoke up, frowning. "I told you, it was an accident! It's bad enough that Guy's mad at me for it..." He grumbled, casting a glare at the dark-haired boy besides him. Guy glared right back, his arms over his chest.

"I told you not to kill him, and then five minutes later..." He frowned, looking away. Matthew sighed in exasperation.

Ninian cleared her throat, trying to regain the room's attention, "And the third either fell from or was pushed off of one of the balconies." Her eyes flickered over to Legault, who failed at his attempt to look innocent. "Their bodies will have to be cremated and the ashes scattered. Respectively, of course. Kent, Sain, can I entrust this duty to you?"

Sain made a face, not too fond of the idea of scattering the burned remains of their enemies, but nodded all the same.

"Of course," Kent said quietly.

"Good, good," Ninian smoothed her skirt. "Please do that before retiring tonight." They nodded again.

Slowly, Florina stood up, "Um, Ninian...? About Farina...?"

"She's alive," Ninian stated. "I can't really tell you anything else at the moment. Hannah and Nils are trying to divine her location currently, and we will let you and Fiora know immediately as soon as we find out anything."

"Oh...um, thank you," Florina mumbled, sitting back down.

However, Fiora was unsatisfied with this answer. She stood up, and asked, "Was Farina kidnapped? Is that why she's gone? Have witch hunters taken her?" The look in her eyes demanded answers.

Ninian closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "We are almost certain that Farina left of her own free will."

Fiora was quiet for a moment as she contemplated this, "...Then why did she leave?"

"I'm sorry," Ninian shook her head. "I honestly don't know."

"Fiora," Florina tugged on her sister's sleeve. "Ninian doesn't know anything else. I'm sure she'd tell us if it was otherwise."

With a defeated sigh, Fiora took her seat.

Across the room, Heath fixed Legault with a glare as he mumbled something threatening and inaudable under his breath.

Nino followed Heath's example, nailing the lavender haired man with a slightly less frightening glare, "You locked me up in a library and went off to shove people off of high places! Uncle Legault, I'm so mad at you!"

"First of all, neither of you have any evidence that I actually pushed that hunter off," Legault hissed, narrowing his eyes. "And secondly, Heath, I do not even want to know _how _you got out of that library, my dear little moron."

"Before you start, I know that my actions were-"

"Incredibly stupid?" Legault interrupted, "Because they were, Heath. Wandering around in a house full of witch hunters? On top of that, virtually none of the witches here know you. They could have mistaken you for a witch hunter and killed you!"

"But I'm alive!" Heath said in exasperation, "I'm alive, and I'm fine!"

"I locked you and Nino in that library because I didn't want to have to worry about your well being!" Legault retorted. Nino shrank back slightly as both men continued to glare daggers at each other.

"They're scaring me..." She mumbled, tugging on Canas' sleeve. He chuckled at her.

"Oh, don't worry," He smiled serenely, looking up from the book in his lap. "They'll stop... Eventually." As an after thought, he added, "Probably."

Heath's voice interrupted them, "_You _were worried? What about me! And Nino! How do you think we felt, locked in that library!"

"If I understand correctly," Legault said dryly. "You were in the library for very long, were you, Heath?"

Heath flushed, "That's not the point!"

"You did manage to get out some way, after all. Some unconventional way, seeing as the door was still locked with my shadows. Maybe a window perhaps...?"

"I did it to look for you!" Heath cried in frustration, "Legault, I was _worried_!"

Ninian cleared her throat delicately, "If you two could please keep it down...?" She asked, looking slightly embarrassed. "Pent and Louise have some things they'd like to announce."

Heath nodded silently, crossing his arms over his chest and turning away. Legault gave a long sigh, muttering, "We'll discuss this later."

"All right then, now that the lover's spat is over..." Ninian muttered under her breath, moving aside. Pent took her place and Louise stood next to her husband, feeling rather relieved to be out of that library at last. Nino was a sweet child, but when she was annoyed, she could be rather scary. Louise had been most relieved when Legault had returned.

"This attack wasn't quite as bad as the last," Pent began.

"Because the house isn't on fire, we're not surrounded by police, and the neighbors don't think you're running a whore house," Matthew spoke up, before getting whacked over the head by Guy. "What? I'm just telling the truth!"

Pent coughed, "Yes, well, that's one way of putting it, Matthew." He tried to smile, inwardly still grumbling about those damned nosy neighbors and their filthy minds, "Anyway, even though this attack wasn't quite such a disaster, it really isn't safe to stay here."

"What do you mean?" Lyn asked, "You aren't saying that we'll have to move again, will we?"

"Our solution," Louise took it upon herself to explain, trying to sound as soothing as possible, "is to have most of you temporarily relocate. Not to anywhere far away, maybe just to New York. That way, we can keep tabs on you without putting you in danger. We'll be staying here, of course." She smiled.

"How long is temporary?" Erk asked, suspicion in his tone.

"Maybe for a month or so, long enough for us to track down these witch hunters and make sure that they won't return." Pent said.

Kent stood up, "If I might speak?"

Louise nodded, giving him the go ahead.

"It is most likely that this group of hunters was a well trained, organized, large group," He said. "As long as the most of us are going to be in New York, wouldn't it be wise for us to do some investigating of our own? It is more then likely that we will find out something."

"Kent's right," Sain stood up, elbowing the red-head. "We have to do something to help out. Wouldn't want to look useless after all." He grinned widely.

"I don't know..." Louise said slowly, "All of you out there, putting yourselves in danger? I might worry."

"I assure you," Kent glanced from Pent to Louise. "That we will be perfectly fine. However, I would not feel right if I just relaxed and did nothing while you worked to find out exactly who attacked us tonight."

After a short pause, Pent conceded, "I suppose it's all right. I won't tell you not to do anything, but I strongly advise all of you not to get yourselves into danger. Now," He glanced around the room. "There is the matter of where you shall stay..."

"Excuse me?" Wil raised his hand and when Louise smiled at him, he stood, "I think I can help out with the living arrangements."

"Oh?" Pent said, sounding slightly surprised. "Do go on."

"Well, I used to live in an apartment building down town." Wil said, "It's kind of an old place, but it's not bad. The land lady, Mrs. Waters is pretty nice," He grinned. Several feet away, Raven shuddered slightly, causing Lucius to look concerned. "And the rent was cheaper then most hotels. She never had many borders, so I'm sure that she could put quite a few people up."

"Hmm..." Pent nodded to himself, "Well, why not?"

"This landlady of yours..." Louise began, gazing at Wil, "Is she someone trustworthy?"

Wil opened his mouth to answer, but Pent cut in.

"She needn't know of the situation. And she's obviously not a witch hunter, or Wil would probably be dead by now. I think it's a good idea."

"Still, we can't take chances with their safety," Louise argued.

Rath sighed, sensing an argument on the horizon. He tugged Wil, who seemed quite disturbed by Pent's 'she's not a witch hunter because he's still alive' logic, back down into his seat.

* * *

It had taken a while, but finally it was decided that the group would be split up into two primary groups. One group would stay in a hotel somewhere downtown while the others would go with Wil to the apartment house that Mrs. Waters ran. Who would go where had been settled quickly, seeing as everyone was too exhausted to raise any sort of objection.

However, large groups of young adults are usually conspicuous and easily spotted. For safety reasons, the groups would be split up into yet more smaller groups, given directions and left to get into the city through various ways at various times.

They weren't placed into groups and were free to pair up with whoever they chose to, as long as the groups stayed between two to five people. It was pretty much a given that, for example, Raven would be going with Lucius and his sister, and Lyn had offered to travel with Florina and Fiora.

Erk had wanted to stay with Pent and Louise in order to help them protect the house, but they insisted that he must go, and sent both Canas and Serra to make sure that he didn't try to stay behind. The only person besides Pent and Louise who would be staying at the house was Hannah, simply because she didn't wish to travel, saying that it wouldn't be good for her old bones. Everyone knew better then to argue with the old fortune teller, so no one said anything to her about possible danger.

It was late and they were to get an early start tomorrow, so everyone started to trail off to their rooms to get a few hours of sleep. Before they had a chance to leave, Pent pulled Matthew aside to speak with him and Guy was dismissed, only to be cornered in the hallway by Rath, who had sent Wil on ahead.

"You're not going to like what I have to say," Rath said in a hushed tone, staring down at the smaller boy.

Guy folded his arms across his chest, "No, I'm probably not."

"All the same..." Rath trailed off, glancing towards the doorway.

"Well?" Guy looked up at his cousin. He was tired, dammit, and wished that Rath would just say what he had to say so he could get to bed.

"You...plan on traveling with Matthew, don't you?"

Reaching up to play with the end of his braid, Guy replied, "Well, yeah. I mean... It'd probably be best, what with... her death..." He trailed off, looking uncomfortable. Had that really only happened that afternoon? It felt longer, much longer.

"Guy, let him go with Hector or one of the others. You'll come with me." Rath instructed, placing a hand on the younger boy's shoulder.

"Rath!" Guy protested, "Why?"

"I'd feel better if you were traveling with me. At least that way I know your safety is assured."

Guy frowned, "Nothing's going to happen to me if I go with Matthew."

Rath sighed, "I know that. Still..." He considered his words for a minute, "Guy, just trust me. We'll leave early tomorrow. I expect you to come with me and that's that." With that, he turned around and strode down the hall, wishing to speak to his student.

He got the opportunity sooner then expected.

"He's not going to listen to you," Wil said as Rath turned a corner, affectively startling the older man.

"... You were listening." It was a statement, not a question. Obviously, Wil had been listening, or else he wouldn't have said what he had just said.

Wil nodded sheepishly. "Sorry, but I was waiting for you. I still don't know my way around here and well, I overheard..." He smiled, looking guilty. "But you know that he won't listen, right?"

Rath sighed again, "...Come on." He said, changing the subject, "I'll take you back to your room. You should pack before bed. We'll leave early tomorrow. _With _Guy."

Wil shook his head before hastily following after his teacher.

* * *

When Matthew strode out into the hall, he found Guy leaning against the wall, apparently waiting for him.

"What'd they say?" He asked, pushing himself away from the wall and taking a step closer to Matthew.

Matthew smiled down at him, ruffling the dark green hair, "You didn't have to wait for me, you know. You should have gone to bed."

Guy shook his head and repeated his question, "What did they say?"

Sighing, Matthew saw that there was no way around answering the dark haired boy's question, so he might as well get it over with. "Just the usual 'I'm sorry for your loss' kind of stuff... Said that if it was too much for me, I didn't have to leave tomorrow. I could wait a few days."

"But..." Guy said tentatively, "You are leaving tomorrow, right? With the rest of us?"

Matthew smiled again, "'Course I am. I can't just sit around and mope all day, can I? No, I'm coming with the rest of you and we're going to discover who these monsters are and crush them."

"Right," Guy agreed with a nod and a small smile. "Then I want to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Plans."

* * *

"I'm sorry."

Legault looked up, "For what?" He gave the suitcase another kick for good measure.

Heath watched with mild amusement, deciding against trying to help, "I'm bad luck." He said simply from his place on the edge of the bed, idly watching Legault.

Abandoning the evil suitcase for a moment, Legault straightened up and gave Heath an odd look, "Why do you say that?"

"First, think about my life story," Heath said with a wry smile. "Then look what happens the minute you bring me here. The house gets attacked and everyone has to pack up and move." The smile faded and Heath looked at the floor.

Legault sighed, "Technically, this happened the day _after _I brought you here."

"Not much of a difference."

"No, but all the same..." Legault knelt next to Heath, "You're not bad luck."

Reaching over to run his fingers through the other man's lavender hair, Heath smirked, "You got any evidence to back that up?"

Legault leaned closer, "Do I need any?" He wound one arm around Heath's shoulders.

Heath raised one eyebrow, "Maybe."

Legault grinned, leaning in even _closer_. "How about if I-"

"Uncle Legault!" The door burst open with a bang and the two sprung apart so quickly that Heath ended up flat on his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in a dazed manner, while Legault hit the floor with a 'thump'.

Picking himself up and dusting himself off, Legault said in a low voice, "Why, hello, Nino dear..."

The small green haired girl poked her head out from around the stack of clothes she was carrying, "I was wondering if you would pack these for me, uncle Legault? Pretty please?" She pouted, "I want to go to bed all ready. I'm tired."

"Fine, fine," Legault huffed. "Just set it down somewhere and go to bed."

Nino grinned triumphantly as she setting the mound of the clothes down by the door and skipping off to bed, "Night, Uncle Legault! Good night, Heath!" She called over her should as Legault moved to close the door.

"Good night, Nino," Legault replied, giving the girl a small smile that spoke of fondness, and maybe just a little exasperation. He kicked the door closed as she disappeared around a corner, then he turned his gaze to the pile of clothes she left. "...We might need another suitcase," He muttered, shaking his head.

Sitting up, Heath couldn't help but laugh, "You two are cute."

"That comment has done wonders for my manly image."

"No, really," Heath grinned. "It's funny, watching the two of you. I never thought that anyone could run circles around you like she does. It's even more unbelievable that you _let _her."

Legault smirked, "Let's just say I've got a soft spot for her, then."

"Mm," Heath nodded, still smiling. They fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments before Heath voiced a question, "Have you ever cast a spell on me?" He asked bluntly, curiosity over Canas' words getting the better of him.

Legault stared for a moment, "Cast a spell?" He repeated blankly.

Heath scowled, "I don't know what the right term for it is, but you get the general idea, don't you? So?"

Legault shook his head, "Where would you get that idea?" He sighed, "Of course I didn't. That would be irresponsible of me and unfair to you, wouldn't it?"

"...I guess so?" Heath replied, not really sure about it.

Legault nodded, more to himself then Heath, then raised the question, "Why do you ask?"

Heath flushed slightly, "No reason." He said, a little ashamed at himself for nearly accusing Legault like that.

The other man gave him a look that stated that he didn't quite believe him, but shrugged it off all the same. "All right then," Legault said airily. "Come help me pack these things up, will you?"

"Sure," Heath replied, getting up off the bed.

* * *

Night passed into morning quickly and the house was abuzz with people trying to pack up last minute items. Louise and Pent were trying to make sure that everyone left at a different time, so as to keep the groups small and inconspicuous. Those who were old enough to drive had squabbles over the few cars that Pent had allowed them to take. In the end, Raven and Fiora ended up taking them.

Most of the rest were still inside, pouring over bus schedules and trying to figure out how to get to the various stops, let alone getting there on time to catch a bus.

Wil, who had prior experience with public transportation, was in charge of picking out a bus stop and a bus to take. Rath, in the mean time, was mentally cursing his cousin, who was no where in sight.

"I told you he wasn't going to just abandon his plans and go with you," Wil chided lightly, not looking up from the pamphlet. Rath grunted.

Brown eyes flickered over to the green haired man, "Don't worry about it. You'll see him soon, and I'm sure he's fine with Matthew."

Rath's eyes narrowed slightly at the name. Wil sighed with slight amusement as he shook his head and went back to the schedule. "We should probably take this one," He advised, pointing at the schedule.

Rath glanced down, "Then when do you propose we leave?"

"Umm..." Wil bit his lip, lifting the schedule a little closer to his face. "In about an hour, I guess... It doesn't matter much. If we miss this bus, there'll be another one in about forty five minutes, so..." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter too much."

Rath nodded slightly, "All right. In an hour then."

"'Kay," Wil smiled. "This must be hard for you, leaving your home and all, especially since you've never lived in the city, have you?" He paused just long enough for Rath to shake his head, confirming Wil's guess. "Well, it's not so bad, the city, I mean. Sure, it's busy and crowded, but that's half the fun!"

Rath wasn't all too sure about that. He sighed, only half-listening as his student rambled on.

* * *

"How many tarot decks do you _need_?" Nils whined as Ninian handed him a bag. A very heavy bag, for something that was probably just full of cards. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around it, grimacing slightly as Ninian turned around and started packing up other random objects.

"I'm only taking my favorites," Ninian responded, carefully wrapping a few small glass bottles in tissue paper before packing them into a box. "Only what we will absolutely need. After all, just because we're temporarily moving doesn't mean that I can just drop my duties as a seer."

Nils mumbled something under his breath, staggering under the weight of the bag. He set it down on a chair carefully, and then straightened up, sighing. "I know, I know..."

"Then wrap these for me, would you?"

The young boy suddenly found his hands full of vials containing essential oils. "Yes, Ninian," He said dejectedly before picking up a sheet of bubble wrap.

"Keep it down, the both of you," Hannah grumbled from her seat at the small table, nursing a cup of tea.

"Sorry, Hannah," Nils smiled guiltily. "Couldn't you sleep last night?"

"Not a wink," The old woman scowled, wrapping her bony hands around the hot mug.

"Yeah," Nils commiserated with the elderly woman. "Me neither. That attack was pretty scary, wasn't it?"

"Wasn't the damn attack," Hannah gritted out. "Was the rain. Makes my knee act up." She sipped her tea again.

Nils sighed, deciding that further conversation with Hannah would be futile, "Ninian," He called. "When are we leaving?"

Ninian's hands never stopped wrapping various bottles and crystals as she replied, "Eliwood and Hector were kind enough to volunteer to escort us-"

"You mean the red-headed boy was kind enough to volunteer himself and the gruff one." Hannah cut in.

"They have names," Ninian mumbled under her breath before continuing in an audible tone, "So I suppose whenever they arrive, we'll be leaving."

"Oh," Nils said, taking a seat next to Hannah and swinging his legs back and forth.

"Have you packed enough clothes?" Ninian asked in a sisterly manner, adjusting the ribbons in her hair.

Nils nodded, "Uh-huh." He replied.

"Missing anything?" Ninian continued her packing-interrogation as she stacked the bubble wrapped bottles neatly inside a little box, "Forgot anything?"

"Nope."

"Well..." She paused, her hands stilling. "I guess we're ready then."

"So long," Hannah waved her fingers at them.

"We're not gone yet, you know," Nils informed her.

Hannah shrugged, "Not yet, you're not, but you will be soon." She sipped her tea again. "It'll be nice to have some quiet for a change..."

"I could say the same," Ninian grumbled softly, not meaning it all that much. As she taped up the box, she cast a fond look at the old woman, "Take care, Hannah."

The old woman snorted gruffly, but when she spoke the same fondness was in her voice, "Of course I will. I'm not stupid like you children. I've got wisdom in my old bones."

Nils grinned at her, "I thought what you had in your bones was arthritis."

"Wisdom is a side affect of arthritis."

"I'm sure," Ninian laughed lightly, finishing wrapping up her box. "Nils, carry this for me, will you?"

The small boy groaned.

* * *

"I've been on more public transportation in this past week then I have in my whole life combined." Legault observed as they took their seats on the half-empty bus, settling himself next to Heath with Nino occupying the empty row of seats behind them. She raised herself on her knees and propped herself up on her elbows on the back of the seat so as not to be left out of the conversation.

"Well, you were spoiled then," Heath replied blankly, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes. "Now be quiet. All I want to do for the rest of the ride is sleep."

"Are you tired, Heath?" Nino asked. The only reply she got was a muffled yawn. She giggled slightly, "What happened, didn't get any sleep?"

"'Course not," Heath muttered, cracking one eye open to glare at Legault. "_You uncle _kept me up all night."

Nino blinked, then made a face, blushing slightly, "I don't want to hear this..." She said, shaking her head from side to side. Legault snickered.

It took a minute for this to sink into Heath's sleep-deprived brain, "Not like THAT!" He screeched when it finally did register, "We were up all night PACKING! PACKING!" He repeated for emphasis. Several people turned around in their seats to stare. Heath flushed, sinking down in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

Nino giggled slightly. "Sorry," She apologized. "I guess I did dump all my stuff on you. But _someone,_" she mock-glared at Legault, reaching over the seat to poke his shoulder, "shouldn't have made you help!"

"You sound like I forced him," Legault said dryly, removing Nino's hand from his shoulder. "Which," he added. "I must certainly did not."

"Slave driver," Nino hissed playfully, poking him again.

Heath nodded, his eyes closed again, "He'd make an excellent one, wouldn't he?" He murmured.

Legault glared half-heartedly at them, "Are you two ganging up on me?"

"What makes you think that?" Nino feigned innocence and Heath, keeping his eyes closed, smiled slowly.

"Of course we are. Have to get the upper hand on you some way and two heads are better then one. Aren't they, Nino?"

"Right!" The green haired girl giggled, grinning widely.

"Exactly," Heath said. "Now, Legault, stop glaring at me. I'm honestly trying to sleep here."

Legault grinned in a devilish manner, tugging Heath closer so that in the end his shoulder ended up being used as a pillow by the green and white haired man, "And if I don't stop glaring?"

"Shut up and glare at your niece, why don't you?" Heath muttered, burying his face in Legault's shoulder, so that his voice was muffled by the fabric of the other's shirt.

Legault smiled slightly, raising a hand to stroke Heath's hair, before twisted around slightly in his seat to mock-glare at Nino, "You heard him, I've got to glare at you know." He informed her as seriously as he could.

She glared right back before laying down the rules, "First one to blink loses."

* * *

"Well, here we are," Wil announced as he pushed open the door and stepped into the Port Authority. "It's been a while since I've been here," He informed Rath. "A couple of months, at least."

A woman stormed by, her heels making clicking sounds on the floors as she screamed something about stocks into what appeared to be thin air. Rath raised one eyebrow and looked down at his student.

"Eh, by the look of her clothes, she's probably not crazy," Wil shrugged. "Most likely she's talking into some kind of tiny headset or something. Seriously, those things have messed up the city so much. You used to be able to tell who was speaking on a cell phone and who was just plain talking to himself, but ever since those headsets came on the market (1)..." He trailed off with a 'what can you do' sort of sigh.

"...Ah," Rath said, not knowing quite how to reply to that remark.

"Have you ever been to New York before, Rath?" Wil asked as they started towards one of the escalators. As they got on, he automatically moved to the side and Rath followed him on instinct. A second later, a man in a business suit practically ran down the other half of the escalator, almost running head first into a woman at the bottom.

"A few times..." Rath said, watching out for other crazed business men, "When I was a child."

"...It's kind of hard to think of you as a kid," Wil commented, staring towards the ceiling as he tried to imagine a young Rath. The only image he could come up with that might have been even remotely accurate was one of a toddler with dark green hair and a perpetual serious expression. He chuckled slightly as they got off the escalator, walking past several stores and newsstands.

"Now, one thing you have to know," Wil instructed, taking over the role of teacher temporarily, "is how to walk like a New Yorker."

"...Walk?" Rath repeated blankly, unsure as to how this counted as 'need to know' information.

Wil nodded, a happy grin on his face, "Just pretend like you're late for the most important meeting in the world and don't be afraid to look like you'll trample over people if you have to. Otherwise..." His grin widened, "They'll trample over you.(2)"

"Charming..." Rath muttered.

"Yep," Wil returned the sarcasm with a bit of his own. "But, hey, that's the way it works." He pushed the door leading out of the Port Authority open, ignored the man who was advertising 'I love NY' t-shirts at half-price, and stepped out into the muggy city air. "It's good to be back again," He said.

Rath grunted in response.

* * *

1. It's true. These days in New York, you see people walking down the street talking to themselves and it's hard to know whether they're on some sort of tiny cell phone or headset or if they're just plain nuts.

2. Also true. Tip to anyone reading who plans to visit New York someday: remember the New York walk. It's the first thing mom taught me and my brother when we moved here.

Okay... that really wasn't the most exciting chapter. But it was a transitional chapter and a bit of an important one. More good stuff comes later next chapter, which will be up SOON! I promise! I'm going away tomorrow to Washington DC and I've got about three hours of train ride there with nothing to do except read manga, so I plan to start the next chapter. I'll be back on Tuesday and hopefully the chapter won't be far behind.

Nextly, I'd like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. We hit 140! Whoo! Your reviews make me grin. You guys are great! I love you all! And if you keep reviewing, I'll love you more.


	13. Almost There

Author's Notes: We hit the 150 mark! Yes! I never dreamed that I'd get that many reviews. This is incredible! Thank you all so much. You guys are the greatest. And thanks for all the hits on the fic, too. (I'm having fun with this new hit counter, yes.) Also, thanks for the notes on the typos in the last chapter. I guess I should've combed through it better… At some point, I will go edit them. Probably. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope everyone likes.

Disclaimer: Hm, nope, still don't own it.

Dedication: To Dreamer of Riddles, for the great song she wrote for the fic. If you don't mind, Becca, I'd like to use it in the fic at some point.

(And many thanks to Koriku and also to my mother for helping trigger the wheels in my head and making me come to the realization that I had made a mistake.)

* * *

Something Wicked 

Chapter 13

By Amethyst Bubble

* * *

All the while as they were trapped in traffic in the Holland tunnel, Florina sat perfectly still and gazed at the dirty walls. Her back was straight and rigid and her posture screamed discomfort, much like how she would be if she was surrounded by men. There were no men around, only her sister and Lyn, but still, the nervous air encircled her. Occasionally, she'd move her fingers, twisting wisps of air together into an invisible braid. 

She sat, she waited, and she thought out her future actions.

She knew that Lyn wouldn't like what she was about to do, and neither would Fiora. They probably wouldn't discourage her, but they would definitely try to come with her. That was something she just could not allow. No, this was something she had to do on her own and that was final.

So step by step she planned out what she had to do.

Florina knew that the first part of her plan would be the hardest. It would require research. It might take her days to even come up with a vague idea of where she had to go. She might never find out at all. If that happened, she'd just have to comb the city from top to bottom, west side to east side, until she found what she was looking for. Despite being rather timid by nature, Florina was not afraid of this seemingly impossible task she had given herself.

It had to be done and she had to be the one to do it. It was as simple as that.

"Florina?" Lyn called her name softly as Fiora carefully inched the car forward another few inches, just to put some space between her and the Greyhound bus that was threatening to smash into them. "Are you all right?"

She smiled, "Of course, Lyn. Why do you ask?"

"Oh..." Lyn turned, staring out the window closest to her, "No reason, I guess."

Florina kept her smile in place, just in case Lyn decided that further questioning was necessary. Inside, her mind turned over countless possibilities of how everything could go wrong, one way or another. She precisely came up with ways to counteract almost all of them, leaving no gaps in the web she was weaving. Then she considered the outcome if everything did go right. Would it be good? She really couldn't answer that yet. She needed more answers first. To get those answers, she'd have to put her plan into action. She couldn't know the outcome until she got there.

Was the risk worth it? Probably. She really wouldn't know that either until everything done, would she? That was her problem, Florina decided; she couldn't think things through all the way. If she were Lyn, perhaps, headstrong, proud Lyn, maybe she would have her answers. She wasn't Lyn, though. She was Florina. Timid, meek little Florina.

Even the mouse had its day, though. She could have hers. She could do this, she told herself. Everything would go right, nothing would go wrong, and in the end, it would be for the best.

Maybe no one would ever know it was her doing. That was all right. She didn't need acknowledgement. Merely her own knowledge that she had a hand in some of this would be enough for her.

So, she decided with an air of finality, she would do this.

* * *

If it were a little less polluted, Rath might have actually liked the subway. It was underground, after all, in-keeping with his element of earth. True, there was a lot of concrete and metal, but those came from the earth too, so he didn't mind. 

It was too crowded, though. Too noisy. The sound of feet echoed constantly on the ground, voices filled the air, and far off, the rumbling of the trains could be heard, going back and forth. The ground shook, just a tiny tremor, and Rath wondered how Wil could be so at peace with all of this. He pushed a twenty dollar bill into his student's hand and instructed him to go buy tokens, or tickets, or whatever it was these things used now. He'd wait here.

Wil had nodded and disappeared into the crowd, weaving his way back and forth until he reached the metro card machines (1). He was back in mere moments, the flimsy looking cards held in his hand.

"Too crowded for you?" He asked Rath, who gave him a wary nod in return. "It's not always like this. It's just early, y'know? People are commuting, getting to work... It should calm down in a few hours or so." He gave the green haired man a reassuring smile, before motioning for him to follow him.

After several failed attempts with the metro card at the turnstile, Wil playfully snatched the card away from Rath and ran it through the turnstile with surprising ease (2). A message that did not have the phrase "please swipe again" flashed across the small screen and Rath walked through, waiting on the other side for Wil who followed shortly.

"C'mon," his student beckoned to him, all ready starting down an almost dank corridor. Rath followed as best he could, but found it difficult to follow the agile young man through the thick crowd. Wil stopped after he realized Rath was having trouble keeping up and back-tracked, returning to his teacher's side and taking a hold of his hand, leading him into a different tunnel, one decorated with posters for various movies and products. The third one to the left featured an actress who would have been rather attractive- if someone hadn't blacked out her teeth, scrawled a thick mustache across her upper lip and written a rather foul word on her forehead.

Wil noticed Rath's rather disapproving look and followed his gaze to the poster, "That isn't the worst of it, you know." He laughed lightly as the tunnel began to slowly slope downwards.

"Charming," Rath muttered under his breath.

Wil laughed again, "You'll get used to it. It's not so bad, really. See?" He pointed to another poster, "That one's covered in stickers for some animal charity. That's better, isn't it? Kind of like the bright side of vandalism."

"...The bright side, huh?" Rath repeated slowly, raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah," Wil nodded. "Everything has at least two sides to it. That includes vandalism, doesn't it?"

"I suppose," Rath answered as Wil dragged him past a patch of construction and into another tunnel marked 'downtown'.

* * *

Heath stretched as he stepped off the bus, yawning slightly. Legault chuckled lightly, helping Nino hop down the bus steps as she cheerily thanked the driver. 

"Have a good nap?" Legault teased.

"Yes, actually," Heath answered casually as Nino led the way down the staircase, two steps ahead of them.

Legault was a quiet for a moment, studying the wall with feigned interest. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked suddenly in a hushed tone, as if he didn't mean for the young girl in front of them to overhear.

"What?" Heath frowned, wondering what Legault meant. "I'm not sick," he explained. "Just tired is all. It's not like I got any sleep last night, what with the attack and all."

"I didn't mean that," Legault said. Stepping off the stairs, he made sure that Heath was in step with him before walking forward to where Nino stood patiently by the glass door, ready to step out whenever the men caught up to her. Satisfied that they were indeed coming, she dashed outside, barely remembering to hold the door open for them.

"Thank you," Legault gave Nino a small smile. She returned the gesture, moving in front of him again.

"Well, then what did you mean?" Heath asked, raising an eyebrow in a suspicious manner. Out of instinct more then anything, he began to scan the crowds around him, though he wasn't quite sure just what he was looking for.

"I would have thought that this place would bring back unpleasant memories for you," Legault elaborated as he wove through the crowds, making sure to keep an eye on Nino.

Heath just looked at him for a moment, "...It's not like the entire city held me hostage." He finally mumbled, biting his lip. Something didn't feel quite right. He started looking around again, taking in various people around him.

"All the same..." Legault cast him a worried look, "You're acting strange."

Heath forced himself to relax, rolling his shoulders back into a less rigid position, "Am I?" He did his best to smile, "Sorry, I guess I'm being paranoid. I'll try to stop."

Legault didn't seem to acknowledge that as an answer to his inquiry, "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Heath was about to reassure the lavender haired man when someone just about walked right in to him, jostling him to the side so much that he had to grip Legault's shoulder to keep himself upright.

"So sorry," The person, he couldn't tell whether they were male or female as they were wearing a raincoat with the hood pulled up (an odd choice of attire for a sunny summer day). Female, Heath decided, judging from the voice alone. An oddly familiar voice...

Something was pressed into his hand and then the woman was off, blending into the crowd almost instantly. Heath frowned and glanced up. Legault was busy making sure that Nino waited for them before she got on the escalator, so he quickly unfolded the small square of paper that had been placed into his hand. He read it in a fraction of a second. There wasn't much to read. It was a one line message consisting of a date- ten in the morning, tomorrow- and an address. The signature consisted only of a 'V' scrawled at the bottom of the note.

Of course, he realized immediately who it was from. How could he not? Biting his lip again, he slipped the scrap of paper into his pocket before Legault saw it. There wasn't any need to worry him.

After all, it wasn't as if he was actually going to go.

"You haven't answered my question yet."

Legault's words startled Heath, tearing him away from his thoughts. "...I'll be fine," He answered finally, giving Legault the most convincing smile he could conjure up.

* * *

"We're being followed." 

Matthew glanced at Guy out of the corner of his eye. "I've noticed," he murmured lowly, resisting the strong urge to turn around and scan the crowds behind them for anyone suspicious. He tugged on Guy's braid lightly, "What do you think we should do?"

Guy yanked his hair away from Matthew, flipping it over his shoulder before answering, "Lose them, obviously."

"I'm not that much of an idiot," Matthew smiled wryly. "We've got to lose 'em, yes, but the question is... How?"

Dark eyes quickly took in the street they were in. "There's a subway station over there," he nodded slightly at it, so as not to give their pursuer any hint of what they were thinking. "We could try and lose them down there."

Matthew seemed to think it over. "Well, it's worth a chance."

Though they tried to move slowly, they ended up rushing down the stairs. The subway down below was abandoned. There wasn't a soul to be seen along the tracks, nor anyone behind the counter of the small information booth.

Matthew gave the metro card machines in the corner a distrustful glance, before simply grabbing a hold of Guy's wrist and dragging him towards the turnstile.

"What are you-" Guy's question was cut off as Matthew picked him up and lifted him over the bar, setting him down on the other side before climbing over himself. Seeing the disgruntled glare he was being given, Matthew shrugged, "It would take too long. Besides, it's not like we got caught."(3)

"…Just don't make a habit out of it," Guy grumbled, flushing slightly and crossing his arms, making an effort to look more annoyed then he actually was. "…I guess he didn't follow us down here," He changed the subject, glancing around.

"Doesn't look like it," Matthew replied, "but be careful all the same."

A faint rumbling in the distance signaled that the train would be arriving soon.

"Aren't I always?" Guy replied, adjusting his headband to keep his bangs from blowing into his eyes as the train roared onto the track. The doors slid open, revealing a mostly deserted car. They got on and quickly sat down.

"At least it's nice and cold in here," Guy commented lightly as the doors slid shut with a click. A voice far too distorted to be properly understood sounded from the speakers overhead and Matthew rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to go see where this thing is headed," he gestured to the map before getting up. "Great," he murmured upon his return, "it's headed uptown. Completely the wrong direction." He sighed, leaning back.

Guy glanced at him, "We'll just get off at the next stop. It's not like it's a tragedy or anything… We'll just be a block or so out of our way, and as long as we're down here, we can try and transfer to a downtown train."

"Wish it were that simple," Matthew growled. "My friend, we have boarded the express. Next stop, 71st Street."

* * *

Lucius made a face as he removed strands of hair from his face, "I hate humidity." 

"Your hair's clinging to you," Priscilla quietly observed, thankful that her hair was too short to cover her shoulders like an extra layer of clothing, something no one needed in this weather.

"We're almost there," Raven said, trying to walk slowly so his sister and Lucius could keep up.

"I don't understand why we had to park so far away…" Priscilla mumbled, glancing at the large display of leather, whips and fishnets that a store window proudly displayed(4). Raven quickly steered his sister away from said store display.

"It was the cheapest parking I could find," he replied, picking up the pace slightly. "It's not that much farther."

"You keep saying that," Lucius sighed, "but I think we're lost." He sighed again as another clump of blond hair persistently clung to his cheek. "I wish I had a hair tie…"

"…We're not lost," Raven said stiffly, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Lucius and Priscilla exchanged glances from behind him, each raising an eyebrow.

"Raven," Lucius began sternly, "we're not _actually _lost, are we?" He glared at the back of the crimson haired head as shoulders stiffened. "…Dear God…" He grumbled, dragging a hand through his slightly damp hair, "You've gotten us lost."

"I haven't," Raven protested gruffly, unwilling to turn around and make eye contact with either Lucius or Priscilla.

With a silent sigh and a glance towards heaven, Lucius nodded towards Priscilla.

"Brother?" Priscilla mustered up a timid a voice as she could, "We're aren't lost, are we? If we were lost, it'd be bad, because this is such…" She paused, pursing her lips together and sending a pleading glance Lucius' way. He pointed to a store window that featured an interesting arrangement of lingerie sporting mannequins. "This is such a bad neighborhood…" Priscilla concluded, taking the hint.

Raven twitched, "We're… not lost." He said through gritted teeth. With that, he took a few long strides forward before throwing a glance over his shoulder at his two companions, "Are you coming or do you want to melt out here?" Lucius and Priscilla exchanged glances before starting after Raven at a leisurely pace.

"We're lost," Lucius muttered under his breath. "He just won't admit it."

Priscilla nodded, "At least we're in an interesting neighborhood." She commented, glancing around.

"PRISCILLA, STOP LOOKING AT THOSE SHOPS!" Raven spun around and attempted to clamp a hand over his sister's eyes.

* * *

The apartment was awfully nice and she had managed to bargain down the rent to half its original price, but somehow, Farina wasn't happy. She had even created a mini rain cloud and placed it over her head in an example of just how unhappy she was. 

She flopped down on her new bed, happy that the apartment was all ready furnished, and crossed her arms behind her head. There was a crack on the ceiling that looked an awful lot like a dollar sign.

Turning over and reaching under her mattress, she produced a thick wad of cash.

"One hundred, two hundred…" She counted absentmindedly, even though she knew exactly how much she had. This was her third count of the day. It wasn't that she was paranoid about some of it suddenly disappearing, it was more that there was nothing else to do.

Concentrating on the rain cloud that still hung over her head, she clapped her hands together to imitate thunder and turned her attention towards the mirror just in time to see a small bolt of lightning zap down from the cloud, narrowly missing frying her hair.

She shoved the money back under her mattress again, flipping back over onto her back.

She sighed.

"Is it always going to be this boring?" She wondered aloud, wanting to make sure she had not gone deaf in her solitude. It was getting quiet enough that she was starting to wonder.

She began to wonder what her sisters were doing. Did they miss her? Fiora was probably more angry with her then anything, but Florina would probably be worried. Florina would be sad that she was gone. Farina sighed and flipped over onto her side, staring through her window. Great, now she was feeling guilty…

Really, though, was there anything to feel guilty for?

She didn't even bother answering her own question, as it would lead to more and more questions, and then finally to yet more questions. Hell, she might even end up pondering the universe, which, though it would pass the time, was not something she particularly wanted to do at the moment.

She wished Fiora was here so they could get into some petty argument. That always seemed to pass the hours quite nicely, even if it did upset Florina.

She sat up, leaned back against the wall, and watched the sunlight dance across the floor. She considered the money under her bed.

She was bored. Rich, yes, but bored. She'd become a bored rich person.

She could always go shopping later. For what, though? The apartment was furnished, and she had brought enough clothes with her… She closed her eyes and groaned. There really was nothing to do.

That's when she heard a noise from out in the hall. A knock, then some murmured voices, then a slam. There were a few seconds of silence in-between before it repeated itself. Knock, murmur, slam. Knock, murmur, slam.

Then someone knocked on her own door.

Well, Farina figured as she got up and crossed her apartment, at least a door-to-door salesman will temporarily relieve her boredom. When she opened the door, it was not a door-to-door salesman that greeted her, but a rather simply dressed young woman with long dark hair. In her hand she clutched a single piece of paper, one of those 'missing' posters people so often created for lost pets.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," the girl said, "but have you seen this man?" She gestured again to the poster in her hand.

Farina's eyes narrowed. There was something off about this woman… She wasn't a witch, but she wasn't completely normal either…

Then, it clicked. How could it not have? She'd seen Fiora's research papers before.

"Why don't you come in?" She asked, moving aside to allow the other entrance.

* * *

"What th' hell are you all still doing out here? Go on, scat!" The shrill voice rang out, echoing through the quiet street. Several people in other buildings watched from their windows with mildly shocked expressions. 

"Pulling an old woman's leg like this," the elderly woman continued, waving her arm wildly out her window. "You ought to be ashamed of yourselves! Don't you kids have anything better to do these days?"

"Please!" Nino attempted to turn on the charm, staring up at the old woman with teary eyes, "We're not joking, we really want to rent out a couple apartments! You've got the space, don't you?"

The old woman made a face, "Well… Yes, but I still don't believe you. Why would you kids want to stay here, huh?"

"Um," Nino drew a blank, knowing she couldn't give up the real reason. She turned and stared at Legault, who looked like he wanted to bang his head against the nearest wall. "Why DO we want to stay?"

"AH-HAH!" The old woman crowed in triumph.

"Because it's safe here," Serra said, placing her hands on her hips.

For the past hour, the witches had been arriving at Mrs. Waters' apartment house in small groups, and yet, the landlady was steadfast in her belief that they were up to no good.

"What she means," Erk put in, glaring at Serra, "is that this is a safe neighborhood."

Mrs. Waters' drummed her nails against her window sill and glared down at them. "Well… I'm still not letting' you in."

Nino bit her lip, "I guess that we'll just have to wait for Wil?"

* * *

Something Wicked 13- End

* * *

1. Okay, I honestly have no idea what these things are actually called. You may laugh, yes. 

2. Those things are EVIL. You have to swipe the metro card about ten times before it'll let you through. I know from experience.

3. Please don't listen to Matthew. In fact, just as I was writing that, there was a story on the news about how they're cutting down on turnstile jumpers. The turnstile police will come after you!

4. There is an area in downtown New York that has a lot of sex shops. There's another area within that area that has a lot of gay sex shops. It's actually not a bad area, balanced out by a lot of metaphysical stores and antique stores and so on. It's a fun neighborhood.

* * *

I know this chapter is shorter then usual, but I'm leaving for the Caribbean for a week tomorrow, and I'm not finished packing and it's already late and…uh, yeah. There will be a longer chapter when I return! But until then, you'll have to make do with this one. As for me, I'm off to snorkel with stingrays. Apparently, they'll eat squid out of your hand… X3 I can't wait to try that! 

Ahem, anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Reviews are appreciated!


	14. Untangling Knots

**Author's Notes**: I'm sorry and I don't really have an excuse. This chapter is too long overdue and it's really pretty pathetic that it took me this long. Somewhere this year, I just lost interest in not only this fic, but most of my writing in general. I didn't want to work on it, so I didn't. Call it writer's block if you will. I'm just glad I was finally able to finish this chapter and I'm going to work hard to make sure this doesn't happen again. (Complete with a New Year's resolution that I'm actually going to try and keep.) I really hope everyone enjoys the chapter. It was actually supposed to be up a week ago, but then-- wouldn't you know it-- my battery broke. XP And now that we have another computer besides my laptop, no one was in a real rush to replace it. Argh. Forgive me?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Fire Emblem.

**---**

**Something Wicked**

**Chapter 14**

**By Amethyst Bubble**

**---**

The subway car screeched to a stop at yet another platform, the suddenness of it all nearly sending Rath stumbling into Wil. The brunette gave him an apologetic grin, shifting as best he could in the crowded car. "Sorry," he hissed. "I forgot how crowded it can get during rush hour. We've still got a little while to go before our stop... should've tried to get the express. It would've been faster, but then that might've been more crowded..." he continued to ramble on but over the past few days Rath had learned how to tune his talkative student out.

Rath attempted to look around, but could only make out a mass of limbs coming from all directions. He turned his attention back on Wil, who was turning out to be a much more pleasant thing to focus on. He also seemed to still be talking. With a small smile, Rath shook his head slightly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wil caught the motion and broke off mid-sentence. "...What?" he asked, blinking.

"Nothing." Rath shrugged, or rather, tried to. The latest wave of people that had piled in made it increasingly difficult to move. The doors slid open and another stream of people attempted to shove their way in. One jostled Wil sharply, and the brunette cursed under his breath, stumbling. On instinct, Rath shot an arm out, settling his hand against the door, creating a shield of sorts. He got a glare from a man chatting away on a cell phone, but it didn't daunt him in the least.

"Thanks," Wil grinned up at him as soon as he'd regained his balance.

Rath said nothing, suddenly finding the ceiling most interesting. Metal, it was, and dirty. Fascinating. After a moment, he couldn't stand it any longer and turned his attention back to Wil, who was scanning the advertisements scattered around the subway car with interest.

Eventually, the number of people getting off at the stops grew larger then the number getting on and Rath all but forced Wil to take an empty seat.

"You're not used to the subway!" Wil protested, "You could fall or be trampled by people or..."

Rath decided this was yet another opportunity where tuning out Wil would be a good thing and simply shepherded the younger male towards the empty seat. Finally, Wil sat down and stayed there, looking somewhat put-out at having lost the argument. This lasted all of two minutes before he struck up yet another one-sided conversation.

"The next stop is ours," Wil put in quickly a few minutes later, standing abruptly. Rath let out a murmur of acknowledgement.

Outside, it was turning out to be a nice day. The sun as shining down and the temperature was more then just warm. Downtown New York seemed more relaxed than the crowded hustle and bustle of the Port Authority and its surroundings had. Here the buildings weren't all gleaming skyscrapers and the streets weren't set on a grid. A variety of small stores and restaurants dotted the landscape and there were even trees here or there.

Seemingly at home in these surroundings, Wil quickly took the lead, winding his way through curving streets. "It's only a few blocks," he announced casually, turning around and walking backwards in order to make eye contact with Rath. Rath was about to tell him to watch out, that he was going to bump into people, but the pedestrians didn't seem to mind the young man's behavior, expertly weaving around him. Wil caught his worried expression and winked, laughing.

Rath suppressed a sigh, a smile tugging at his lips. Tearing his gaze away from Wil's, he looked over a medium-sized brownstone practically covered in ivy. This part of the City was homier, more relaxed and less sterile-seeming. Rath could easily see staying here for a while. The plant life that still seemed to dot the place soothed the restless energy of his magic, something he was thankful for. Earth elements didn't do well in places where they couldn't make contact with plant life.

He supposed that was why Wil liked it so much here. It had enough greenery to put an earth element's soul at rest, but with the energy that wind elements demanded. It nearly a perfect setting for Wil's dual element. Less factories and skyscrapers in this area as well, making the air just a little bit fresher, another bonus for the side of Wil that belonged to the wind.

Taking another look around, he was slightly surprised at the magical aura that so many of the pedestrians were giving off. Not all of them were particularly powerful, but they were there all the same. It was like some sort of haven for the magically gifted. Casting a look at the various stores-- they had once again entered an area dominated by shops and not brownstones-- he was surprised to see a few apothecaries boasting a fair selection of herbs and oils, among other things. Interesting, he thought to himself. He'd have to tell the healers later, just in case.

"Rath?" Wil waved a hand in front of his face. Blinking down at the younger boy, Rath snapped himself out of his thoughts. "See anything interesting?" Wil asked with a mischievous grin. Rath shrugged in reply and Wil's eyes danced. "It's a good neighborhood, not too crowded but not empty. Plus, there's always something to see, which is a plus if you're like me and can't sit still for a minute!... Except you're probably good at sitting still, aren't you, Rath?"

---

"So, Sherlock, what do we do now?"

"I don't know," Matthew replied honestly, for once, tilting his head back as far as it would go. He stared at the sun just so he could avoid looking at the dark eyes attempting to glare holes into his neck (he was damned lucky Guy was far too short too make eye contact). "I can't believe we're still being followed. I thought we lost them down in the subway."

"Apparently not," Guy scoffed, ignoring the overwhelming urge to scan the crowd behind him. It would make them look suspicious. At least, more suspicious then they probably already looked. "It can't be the same one as before."

"Two hunters in one day?" Matthew frowned, "Dammit, the city might as well be crawling with the bastards."

Guy narrowed his eyes. "There're two possibilities here. One, New York is, in fact, crawling with hunters. Two, they have a good communication system. The first one that saw us might've sent our descriptions to all the others patrolling today, via some sort of mass-message."

"Hunters hate technology almost as much as witchcraft," Matthew snorted. "Still, I wouldn't put it past them. Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Speaking of which, stop stalling and come up with a plan."

Matthew silently cursed. "Well, obviously we have to get off the street..."

"That'd probably be smart. It'd be way too easy to kill us and make it look like a mugging." Again, the urge to glance around and make sure no one was aiming a gun at his head was almost irresistible. Guy clenched his fists, bit his lip and told himself to bear it.

Matthew nodded, "We need to be somewhere reasonably crowded, someplace where a murder would definitely get attention. The hunters don't want that, and they won't risk it just because they want two more witches off the face of the planet."

"Well, it _sounds _like a good idea," Guy consented, "but where, exactly, are we going to find a place like that?"

Scanning the area quickly, Matthew caught sight of a large building in the distance. It took a minute for him to remember exactly what it was (he hadn't been to the city for quite some time, after all), but when he did, he broke into a grin. "Say, how's a trip to a certain museum sound...?"

---

By the time Rath and Wil arrived on the scene, everyone was hot, tired and grouchy. Except, of course, for Mrs. Waters, who was blessed with air conditioning and remarkable stamina. The elderly woman was _still _accusing them of trying to pull one over her, even though any sane prankster would've left for home ages ago.

"Oh, thank God," Serra moaned upon seeing them approach. "Please, talk some sense into... into..." she gestured in a weak, dramatic fashion at Mrs. Waters, who was leaning so far out her window she was dangerously close to toppling out of it. "_That_," Serra finally said, flicking at her hair (which was escaping her usually neat pigtails at an alarming rate) in an annoyed fashion.

"Yes," Legault agreed, an arm lazily slung around Heath's shoulders. "Please do talk some sense into _that_."

The owner of the apartment building was about to (loudly) protest to being referred to as "that" when she realized just who, exactly, the damned pranksters on her front lawn were speaking to. "I don't believe it," she muttered, fumbling around for her glasses. Upon putting them on, she squinted at the ever approaching figure and let out a cry, "Why, if it isn't you, boy! Where've you been!"

Wil opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated for a moment. "Just around," he finally said with a wide and hopefully disarming smile.

She gave him 'the look' for a moment, her gaze shifting between him and the tall green haired man besides him, before sighing and deciding, with a shrug, that she honestly did not want to know. With that boy, it was bound to be trouble. "So," she changed the subject and pointed, rather unceremoniously, to the group still gathered on the lawn, "Do you know them?"

"Yep," he answered simply as he came to a stop in front of the stairs, craning his head back to look her in the eye.

She paused, seemingly lost at the straight-forward reply. "...Are they trustworthy?" she finally asked, eyeing the strange little group again.

"As anyone can be," Wil replied with a mock-salute.

She paused again, and then eyed the group over, counting them. "Well, I suppose... Hmph," she rolled her eyes and started again, "You can rent out all the apartments I have open," she shouted down at them, "I'll even give you a discount. If ya try, you should all be able to fit!" She narrowed her eyes and in her best dragon-lady tone, added, "But no funny stuff, you hear?"

"Funny stuff?" Erk muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Wil scratched the nape of his neck, laughing lightly, "It's sort of her rule."

"Sort of! Sort of! Did I hear you right, boy? What were you, dropped on your head while you were off wherever you were! It's not "sort of" the rule, it's THE rule and-"

"Okay, okay," Wil cut in, chuckling. "It's THE rule, guys." He winked, and shook his head. Rath sighed and wondered if it was always going to be this noisy. Suddenly, facing witch hunters sounded like a walk in the park. A very nice walk in the park, with frolicking squirrels and birds who chirped Mozart...

"THE rule," the elderly woman repeated with a firm nod.

---

"Is the building alright, Priscilla?" Raven asked in a grunt as he set their bags down in the room he'd be sharing with his sister and Lucius. "We could always move if it's too crowded..."

Priscilla shook her head, sitting down on the bed, the only furniture in the rather dusty room. "It's fine, brother. The only lingering spirits are harmless ones, none that pose a potential threat. I won't have any problems staying here, but thank you for asking." she smiled slowly, the melancholy look in her eyes remaining. Lucius patted her on the shoulder, sending a kind look her way.

Raven looked away, towards the open door. Serra was dashing up and down the steps, ordering Erk and Canas around as the two men carried her multiple bags up to her room. She paused by their door to wave at Lucius, who returned the sentiment, and then she was on her way.

"Looks like Serra made herself at home," Lucius commented with a rye smile. Erk, currently carrying one end of a large suitcase, overheard the comment and sent a half-hearted glare at the blond. Canas, trying to both balance the suitcase and offer Erk some comfort at the same time, waved as best he could as they disappeared up the stairs. Serra followed them, shouting orders as she went.

Raven shook his head, grateful that he hadn't been recruited as one of Serra's slaves. He'd once been chosen to help carry an armoire up to her room and he never wanted to repeat that experience again. Lucius, as if sensing his thoughts, sent him an apologetic smile.

Priscilla, in the mean time, had adopted a glazed expression and had fixed her eyes on the wall in a blank stare. Raven sighed, laying a hand on his sister's shoulder. Creating a weak magical connection via the touch, he followed her gaze and saw a vague, hazy shape floating in the corner.

"A ghost?" Lucius questioned once Raven let go of Priscilla. "Or some sort of other spirit...?"

"Ghost, I think," Raven answered tersely, running a hand through his hair. He glanced at Priscilla. "Don't know how long she'll insist on speaking to this one."

"Right," Lucius stood, pushing his hair over his shoulder. "Why don't you stay with her? I'll go look around, see who else has arrived." Raven nodded absently, sitting down next to Priscilla.

"Come back soon-- you know how she gets when she finally snaps out of it," Raven mumbled.

The blond nodded, closing the apartment door on his way out. He quickly walked down the stairs and arrived in on the ground floor, where quite a few people still remained, discussing various matters. Some, like Rath, just glowered at the wall.

"Something wrong, Rath?" Lucius asked, brushing a lock of hair behind his ear.

"Don't mind him," Wil shook his head, appearing at the foot of the stairs. "He's just grouchy because Guy isn't here yet," he whispered to Lucius with a helpless shrug of his shoulders. Lucius gave an understanding nod.

"He went with Matthew, didn't he?" When Rath stiffened, Lucius just shook his head in an amused manner and continued, "I wouldn't worry, then. Matthew knows his way around the city pretty well. Though..." he glanced at his watch, "it is pretty late. Maybe they took a detour...?"

Wil shrugged, "It's possible. The city's big, after all. They might've decided to go do something before settling in, blow off some steam and all. What do you think, Rath?"

Rath took a moment to reply, keeping his frown in place the whole time. "...I think that if anything happens to Guy, Matthew--"

"Is dead. You've told me," Wil grinned. "Don't worry so much. I'm sure they'll be back soon!"

---

"Rath is going to k-kill me. No, wait, he's going to kill _you_."

Matthew sighed, leaning back in his seat. The small theatre was dark and somewhat crowded, a short film on the evolution of dinosaurs playing on repeat. "It's not like I planned this..."

Guy shrugged, looking around the room. He still felt like he was being watched, but it was hard to pinpoint a hunter in a crowd. "He'll kill you anyway." He tapped his fingers against the wooden bench nervously, biting his lip. It was too dark in here. It would be too easy for a witch hunter to strike, he told himself, fidgeting. Too easy for a hunter to slip away unnoticed.

Matthew's hand settled on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We're going to be fine." he whispered with a charming smile.

"Jerk," Guy hissed back, but he couldn't help but smile a little. He tried to turn his attention to the screen, but the fact that Matthew's hand still remained on his shoulder made it just a little hard to concentrate.

"Aw, but you love me anyway, right?" Matthew joked, raising his hand to ruffle Guy's hair. Extremely thankful that the dark theatre was no doubt hiding the fact that he was as red as an embarrassed tomato, Guy ducked his head down and stared at the screen through his bangs. Matthew snickered at him, shaking his head from side to side in amusement.

Someone in the back shushed them loudly, causing Matthew to snicker more. Guy was sure he was going to pass out any moment now because of all the blood rushing to his head. "Young people these days," an annoyed voice, probably the same one that had shushed, echoed.

"Oh, leave them alone." Another voice said from somewhere off to the right.

Another elderly-sounding voice quickly piped up, "Ah, to be young again. Remember when we were lovebirds, Harold?"

Guy squeaked. Matthew doubled over in laughter. To the left, a baby cried. Grabbing onto Guy's wrist, Matthew held a finger to his lips. The next thing Guy knew, Matthew and he had plummeted through the floor and landed smoothly on the ground of a luckily empty exhibit. Guy took a deep breath and waited for his head to stop spinning while he regained whatever sense of balance he'd had before. When he had, he reached over and hit Matthew.

"Warn me before you phase us out of places! And you shouldn't d-do that anyway! Y-you have to conserve your magic!"

"Sorry, sorry," Matthew apologized while managing not to sound apologetic in the least. "You don't feel like we're being watched anymore, though, right?"

Guy took a moment and realized that the feeling of eyes on his back had all but disappeared. "...Yeah," he mumbled, crossing his arms. "But I don't like that we're alone here. We should be getting back."

"Then let's start heading out," Matthew suggested, starting towards the exit. Guy quickly caught up to him, trying to keep in-step with the other's long strides. Within moments, Matthew had located the exit and led them outside. He whistled lowly upon noticing the setting sun. "Right, okay then. Rath really is going to kill me."

"S-slowly and painfully," Guy commented, eyeing the sunset himself. Even though they had been stalked by witch hunters and forced to hide out in a museum through most of the day, he couldn't help but feel happy that he had gotten to spend time with Matthew. Which, in turn, made him feel just a little guilty. Biting his lip, he followed Matthew down to the subway station in a subdued fashion. He only paused his sulking occasionally to remind Matthew exactly _which _train to take.

"Careful," Matthew tugged on Guy's braid as they descended the stairs. They had arrived just in time to see a magenta-haired girl take a rather nasty tumble down the last few steps. Though she didn't seem to be seriously injured, she was teary-eyed and her blue-haired companion was trying to help her up and stop her from bursting into tears at the same time. ("Aw, Neimi, you said you wouldn't cry anymore!") Two other men, one with tousled hair and a worried expression and the other with long red locks and a coin that he tossed in a rather bored manner, attempted to help. ("Joshua, put that down." "But Artur...!") Or rather, one of them attempted to help and the other was coerced into it.

"We actually have to buy metrocards this time..." Matthew grumbled as Guy fed the machine money. "It was so much easier to just jump over the turnstile..."

"B-be quiet. That's illegal."

"Kind of fun, though."

Guy shook his head as he accepted the flimsy card from the machine. "Matthew... just, please behave. Please."

"That's a difficult request to grant, but for you're sake, I'll try." Guy breathed a sigh of relief right before Matthew added, "Of course, if I _did _get us arrested, I could just phase us out of there... Ow. Must you kick me?"

"S-serves you right," Guy muttered.

They boarded their train quickly and Matthew made sure to check the map to make sure that they weren't headed in completely the wrong direction _again_. After assuring Guy that they would probably be able to find the building before it got too late, Matthew took a seat and leaned back, closing his eyes. Though the events of the day before seemed like they had happened years ago, they were still vivid in his mind. He suppressed a shudder. All he really wanted to do was shut himself up in a room and simply alternate between grieving and sleeping for a few days. But... he opened one eye and glanced at Guy, his own dark eyes fixed blankly on the opposite window. He sighed and cracked a small smile. He couldn't sulk, not now. Not when other people needed him. Reaching over, he couldn't resist ruffling Guy's hair again. He earned himself a glare and a slap on the wrist, but it was well worth it.

---

"Meet her at ten tomorrow... just how crazy does she think I am?" Heath muttered to himself, glancing around the empty room. Sighing, he sat back on the bed and frowned at the ceiling. He couldn't believe he was actually considering going. It would just be to see what she wanted, after all. The address she gave him was a coffee shop, so it wasn't like it wouldn't be a public area. It would be somewhat safe... probably.

She had already tracked him down once. How hard would it be for her to do it again? But if he complied with her request... he leaned back, closing his eyes. This was far too much. He wasn't going to go back there, but... he was considering meeting with Vaida. As utterly moronic as it sounded, he really was considering it.

"Why so serious?"

Opening his eyes, Heath shrugged. "It's nothing."

Legault leaned languidly on the doorframe, a skeptical look on his face. "If you say so."

"I do," Heath smiled, sitting up and pulling one knee up to his chest. "Where were you, anyway?" he raised an eyebrow. Legault crossed the room in a few long strides, taking a seat next to Heath.

He shrugged, "Around. Nino needed me to run out and get a few things for her and it took a bit longer then expected." Wrapping his arms around Heath, he lay back, taking the other with him. "Miss me?"

"Legault..." Heath growled, glaring up at him. Legault stared back down, an amused smile on his face. After a moment, he closed his eyes, yawning.

"Damn, I'm tired..." he sighed, tightening his grip on Heath. Managing to put enough distance between himself and Legault, Heath elbowed the other man in the ribcage.

"Well, I'm not."

Legault closed the distance between them again, nuzzling Heath's hair, "That's because you slept on the bus. I didn't. Now be good and let me rest. Please." he added the last part in something between a hiss and a whisper, running a hand up and down Heath's upper arm. Heath scowled, but said nothing. Turning his head, he gazed at Legault. The other man did appear to be dozing; his eyes were closed and his chest was rising and falling evenly. His hand had stilled but still remained on Heath's arm.

Sighing, Heath brought his own hand up to touch Legault's lightly. _What am I going to do with you?_ he thought to himself, raising the other hand to brush some of Legault's hair away from his face. His fingers lingered a moment over the long scars that crossed over his eye and Heath wondered again just how he'd gotten them. Deciding that he actually probably didn't want to know after all, Heath removed his hand from the tall man's face. Taking a second look at him, he saw the faint smile on Legault's lips and groaned. "Cut it out. I _know _you're not asleep."

"Mm," Legault muttered, tugging Heath yet closer. "No, I wasn't, but the attention you were lavishing on me was very enjoyable anyway..."

Flushing, Heath reached over and tugged lightly on a lock of Legault's long hair. "Shut up and go to bed already."

"Sleep with me, will you?"

Heath paused a moment before muttering, "Nino's right. Everything you say _is _dirty."

"You know perfectly well what I meant," Legault suppressed another yawn. "But, if you like, there's always tomorrow for--" Heath reached over, grabbed a pillow, and brought it down on Legault's head. "You're quite violent, aren't you?" was his muffled response. Unwrapping one arm from around Heath, he removed the pillow from his face and set it under his head.

"Only when the situation calls for it," Heath replied airily with a small smirk.

Legault opened one eye and stared at him for a long moment, before smiling. "You are spending far too much time with me."

"Probably," Heath said, relaxing against Legault. "Go to sleep, okay? I'll stay."

Nodding, the other man closed the opened eye and ran a hand up and down Heath's back for a good couple of minutes before he stilled. Heath did nothing but watch him for a while after that, thinking about nothing in particular. All the while, he was painfully aware of the note still in his pocket. Combine that with the warmth of the man next to him and it made for one heck of a headache.

Heath closed his own eyes, laying a hand across his forehead. He was an idiot for even considering meeting with Vaida. He was an even bigger idiot for deciding to go through and be done with it.

---

"Didn't you use to live in New York, Nino?" Florina asked quietly as Lyn attempted to help Matthew and Guy sneak upstairs. The two had arrived mere moments ago and luckily for them, Wil had all but kidnapped Rath in order to further experiment with his chalk circles.

"Um, I think so," Nino responded. "Uncle Legault says we used to, but I don't remember it very well." She shuffled the deck of cards in her hands expertly, watching them fly from one palm to the other. When she caught Florina staring, she grinned and explained, "I know lots of card tricks. Uncle Legault taught me this one." Placing the cards down on the ground, she dealt Florina and herself five each.

"Wow," Florina mumbled quietly, gathering up her own cards.

"Uh-huh!" Nino nodded, her grin taking on a certain pride. "But... I didn't learn them all from him. I used to have two brothers... well, they probably weren't _actually _my brothers, just like Legault isn't _actually _my uncle by blood and all. But it always felt like they were my older brothers and they might've been my step-brothers-- Uncle Legault won't say anything about them. To me, though, they were my brothers, no doubt about it." She took a breath, before adding, "Sorry, that probably sounded really confusing!"

"I-I understand," Florina spoke up. "Fiora and Farina are my sisters, related by blood... they're my family. But then there's everyone here, and..." she trailed off, blushing. "You're all my family, too."

"Aww," Nino giggled. "You're sweet, Florina! Got any threes?"

"Go fish."

"I feel the same way, though," Nino continued as she picked up a card. "Before we came here, it was just me and Uncle Legault. It got pretty lonely sometimes... but ever since we got here, life's been really exciting!"

"Or terrifying," Florina whispered, twisting a lock of hair around her finger. Nino giggled. "I-I'm not kidding! What about that one time when Serra lost control and..." she trailed off, blushing.

"Well, okay, that _was _pretty scary," Nino admitted, grinning from ear to ear. "And the attacks were scary, too... but there's more then enough fun times to balance out the scales, don't you think?"

Florina paused to consider, then nodded slightly, "I guess so..." the cards in her hands forgotten, she smiled thoughtfully. "Nino, what do you think is going to happen?"

"...Well, I can kind of see your cards, so that probably gives me the upper hand..."

"Not with the game!" Florina giggled, but held her cards closer to her all the same. "But... you know, with... well, all of us. Here. In the city. Do you think Pent and Louise will be okay back at the house...?"

"Sure," Nino said instantly, without even pausing to think about it. "They're strong. They know more than the rest of us. They'll be fine. I can still see your cards-- you did have a three!"

Florina shook her head with a grin and laid her cards on the ground, neatly spreading them in a circle. "How can you be so sure...?" she asked, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"Because I have to be," Nino replied, gathering up Florina's cards and shuffling them into the deck. Her own hand soon followed. Obviously, there game wasn't going anywhere. She continued to shuffle the cards back and forth. "I know that things are going to work out fine and I know that soon we'll all be able to go home and it won't be like that other time with the police and the neighbors all thinking that the house was..." she paused, blushing. "Well, you know."

Florina nodded meekly, suddenly intensely interested in the floor. That was an incident she longed to forget.

"But anyway," Nino pulled herself up and smiled brightly. "You just have to believe things are going to work out! Keep a positive outlook and things'll be looking up in no time!" Finally content with the deck of cards, she slid it back into the pocket of her jeans.

"...That... sounds kind of hard," Florina murmured, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Well, uh, try to think positive without thinking about it, then," Nino suggested with a shrug and a helpless sort of expression.

"Nino," Matthew hissed from the doorway, glancing around to make sure Rath wasn't anywhere nearby. Neither he nor Guy had been caught yet and Matthew would have liked to keep it that way. "Legault wanted me to tell you to go to bed already. We've got a long day of pretending not to be completely lost tomorrow."

"Why didn't he come tell me himself?" Nino asked with a small frown as she stood up and waved good night to Florina.

Matthew scratched the back of his neck and slowly said, "Let's just say he's very comfortable right now."

Florina turned beet red and Nino tried very hard not to sigh. "I really don't want a deeper explanation right now, do I?" she asked as she tramped out of Florina's room and headed towards the stairs.

"It's not as dirty as you might think, but... no, you probably don't." Matthew ruffled her hair before jogging up the stairs himself, "G'night, kid!"

Sticking her tongue out at his back, Nino headed towards her own room, conveniently located next to her uncle's.

---

"This is amazing," Rath murmured, clasping Wil on the shoulder. Wil's most complex chalk circle yet took up a large portion of the bare wooden floor. Mrs. Waters had been kind of enough to let him have his old room back and, what with the slight shortage of rooms, it had been decided that Wil would be sharing with Rath. Neither teacher nor student seemed to object.

Wil grinned over his shoulder at Rath, before turning back to admire his work. It was an intricate design that incorporated three different circles with a something that Rath called a Celtic knot in the center. Wil had no idea what that meant, but it looked cool all the same. The usual assortment of letters trailed around the largest of the circles, various symbols wove their way through the second and the numbers zero through nine went around the third. _Yes _and _No _were written on either side of the large work. Wil held his pendulum poised over the circle.

"Divination at this stage in your training," Rath continued, eyes traveling every line drawn on the floor. "...You learned this on your own?"

"I kind of made it up as I went along," Wil said with a nervous laugh and a shrug of his shoulders. "And, uh, care to define "divination"? I mean, that's like, divining stuff, right? But I'm not exactly sure what that means, either."

"Divination," Rath cut in quickly, "is the art of fortune telling, in simple terms." He paused, before continuing, "Wind elements are usually best at it, followed by water and light. It is... possible for all the elements to learn some form of divination, but these days it is an art reserved... more or less... for wind elements."

"Uh, didn't quite catch all that, but cool all the same." Wil grinned, "So, ask me a question!"

A moment of silence ensued and Wil turned to look at Rath again. Seeing the other's raised eyebrow, he sighed with a crooked grin. "You've just seen the circle. Not what it can do."

"...What should I ask, then?" Rath murmured.

"Err, start with something easy, like a yes or no question." Wil suggested, idly twisting the pendulum's chain back and forth.

A thoughtful sort of quiet settled over the room for a minute or two before Rath finally placed a question, "Will tomorrow be fortunate?"

"Will tomorrow be fortunate?" Wil repeated, focusing on the pendulum clenched in his fist. After a moment, he flicked his wrist and the pendulum began to swing in lazy patterns a few inches above the floor. Humming under his breath, Wil's gaze followed the path of the pendulum as it slowly began to wind down. In a matter of seconds, it had come to a near complete stop, hovering above...

"No." Rath read aloud.

Wil blinked, "Well... uh, that's straightforward? It's not usually that blunt. Should we be worried?" he asked, placing the pendulum down besides the circle. He shifted to face Rath, studying his teacher's expression. He didn't look worried or anything, so Wil supposed that was a good thing. Probably.

"Divination is rarely straightforward... nor is it always one hundred percent correct. There are almost always loopholes." He took a breath and ran a hand through his green bangs, "I wouldn't worry."

Wil's hesitant expression melted into a slow smile, "'Kay." Watching as Rath got up and began to pace around the room, he shook his head and picked up the pendulum again. "You want me to see if Guy's okay?"

Rath came to a standstill and turned to face his student. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you're pacing. And glaring. Again." Wil answered quickly, "Like you have been all day. I figured that it might put your mind at ease. Or... make you pace and glare even more. Either way, it's worth a try, isn't it?" Picking up the chalk, he touched up the circle a little before grabbing his pendulum. "So?"

"...Fine." Rath gave in. What harm could it do?

"Okay!" Wil grinned before phrasing his question and letting the pendulum once again swing around the elaborate design. It swung lazily from one end of the second circle to the other before finally coming to a stop over the doodle of a cloud. "Okay, so, clouds... clouds are in the sky. The sky is blue. So that means that Guy's... blue? Oh, blue, like sad or melancholy. Or it could mean under the weather... maybe it's..."

Conveniently, there was a knock at the door and Wil paused mid-rant to get up and answer it. "Or apparently," he continued, moving aside to reveal their visitor. "It means he's in the building. Hi, Guy!"

"Hi, Wil," Guy returned with a guilty smile.

"Guy," Rath intoned quietly, looking the younger man up and down. "You appear to be in one piece."

"I-I am," he replied, flushing and looking away.

Wil rolled his eyes and gave Guy a gentle shove, pushing him into the room. "And I'll be leaving so you two can work out some family issues," he said with a wave before quickly exiting. He made sure to shut the door behind him.

Not five minutes later, Guy threw open the door and stomped out, slamming it violently behind him.

"I take it it didn't go so well," Wil spoke up. For the past few minutes, he had been leaning against the hallway wall, staring off into space. The sound of a slamming door had brought him out of his game of finding patterns in the old wallpaper.

"Rath is a stubborn man who either communicates in long bouts of silence or in sounds too high for a human to hear," Guy said with a look that could've burned a hole through the wall.

Wil snickered, "Geez, let's hope it's the first one. Good night, Guy."

"Night, Wil," Guy said with a small smile.

Returning to his room, Wil eyed Rath with amusement. "You're not great at this family argument thing, are you?" he asked, grabbing a rag off the floor and wiping away the chalk circle. He had decided after he'd drawn the first one that he would have to erase them pretty much as soon as he was done with them. Leaving them there felt... wrong. It bothered him.

Rath didn't reply, so Wil continued, "I've never had any cousins, or siblings, either. But my friend, Dan, had a little sister who used to hang out with us. Err, I can't really remember her name, but I remember she used to get pretty mad with the two of us. It was always funny, watching Dan trying to calm her down, because he was so awful at it. You and Guy remind me of that, kind of. Except without the constant throwing of random stuff." The circle completely erased, Wil sat back on his heels and smiled.

There was a pause before Rath muttered, "You haven't seen one of our more serious arguments, then." Wil blinked, then laughed and Rath's lips twitched into something resembling a smile.

"Tomorrow," he changed the subject, locking his green eyes with warm brown ones. "You should show your chalk circles to Ninian. She knows far more about the art of divination than I do."

"Right," Wil agreed.

---

"Matthew?" Guy whispered, opening the door as quietly as he could and slipping into the dark room. "Are you asleep?" he bit his lip, blinking a few times in the darkness. His friend and new roommate was nowhere to be found.

"I'm awake," a voice from behind him uttered and Guy jumped when someone pulled on his braid.

"I really hate you and your night vision," the small teen grumbled, grabbing his hair back and clutching it possessively. Matthew snickered, weaving his way around Guy and sitting down on the bed. Holding out his palm, he formed a small ball of raw magic, which glowed eerily in the dark.

"Where've you been?" he asked as Guy shifted nervously from one foot to the other; he had just realized that there was a bed shortage in the room they'd be sharing.

"I went to apologize to Rath," Guy answered, cautiously sitting down next to Matthew when the other man gestured for him to do so. "It... went reasonably well, considering everything. He still wants your head on a platter, though I suppose that's nothing new."

"Nope," Matthew grinned and the dancing silver light cast shadows over his face and shoulders. "Fish swim, birds fly, you squeak when I play with your hair--" Matthew reached out and Guy scooted towards the end of the bed, sticking his tongue out. "And Rath just doesn't like me."

"And you," Guy added on, "don't care one bit, do you?"

Matthew's grin grew larger, "There are more important things to care about then whether someone likes you or not." He sat back and stared as the spot just beyond Guy's shoulder. Experimentally, Guy reached out and touched Matthew's wrist, channeling his own power into the magic sphere, which began to glow a little brighter.

"Matthew," he began quietly, licking his lips and staring at the sheets under them. "I'm sorry."

Matthew cast a quizzical glance at him, raising both eyebrows. "About what?" he feigned surprise. Guy frowned.

"About--!" he spluttered, his bangs falling into his eyes. "About her! What else could I p-possibly mean, you jerk? Don't you... don't you miss her?"

For a second, anger flashed across Matthew's eyes and Guy nearly shrank back. He'd seen Matthew loose it the night before with that hunter; it wasn't something he particularly wanted to witness again. Then a finger was pressed against his lips and Matthew's eyes, calm and collected, were staring into his.

"Guy, what's done is done. Your apologies aren't going to change anything, especially when there's nothing for _you _to apologize for. So... just be quiet, okay." It wasn't a request. Guy fell silent, adding yet more of his own magic to the ball Matthew held instead. Matthew smiled, not grinned, and raised his free hand to tug off Guy's headband. He brushed the younger boy's bangs away from his eyes before pulling back.

"You take the bed. I'm fine with the floor." he said, attempting to stand up. Guy's hand clenched around his wrist, halting him. Expecting a protest, Matthew continued, "No, seriously, it looks feathery soft, like the detergent commercials. And if you protest, I'll _make _you take the bed. Don't think I won't."

"I wasn't going to," Guy cut in with a snort. "I-I'm not that generous. I'm going to take advantage of your offer, oaf."

"You're so sweet."

"Sh-shut up." Guy's grip tightened on his arm. "I just... didn't want to go to sleep quite yet. Stay here for a little while." Matthew hesitated a second, before collapsing back down.

"First, you just _let _me take the floor. Then, you call me back over to the bed. Little tease."

"You're making me reconsider my offer, Matthew..."

---

_Chapter 14-End_

---

Wow. Okay. Actually finished the chapter. I swore to myself that I'd do it and I actually did. I'd be proud of myself, but then I remember that chapter 13 was posted in, oh, I don't know, JULY, so that sort of sucks the pride out of this accomplishment. (So, so sorry.)

And I believe Koriku had a comment as to the layout of the bus stop (aka, the Port Authority) mentioned in the last chapter, the one Legault, Heath and Nino get off at. The thing is, it's the last stop for most of the New Jersey Transit buses and it's a large building, enclosed. Most of the time, once you get off of the bus, you have to either up or down a flight of stairs to get into the actual building, so that's why the stairs were there. Hope that clears things up and thanks for your review!

Reviews are appreciated and please feel free to poke me with a pointy twig if you feel it's necessary. Though that doesn't inspire near as much as ego-inflating praise. (It does sort of hurt in a ticklish way, though, so if that was what you were going for...) But, wow, 170 reviews. I am shocked beyond words! You guys are incredible! (You'll be even more incredible if you turn down the poking-with-the-pointy-twig offer, by the way.)


	15. Misadventures in New York

**Author's Note**: Chapter 15 has arrived! And only a week later than I intended! …I'm sorry. But, hey, compared to the last wait, this one wasn't so bad, was it? … Okay, maybe it's still a bit too soon to joke about that. Sorry again. On another note, wow, so many reviews! You all really didn't give up on this fic! For that, you are amazing. Love you all so much. Hope you enjoy chapter 15!

**Disclaimer**: Ammy doesn't own Fire Emblem 7. Which, you know, is probably a good thing. Not that she thinks of it that way.

**Dedications**: To Gunner, Dark Lord Snuggle Flowers, for being understanding about me taking a week longer than expected to get this chapter up. For cheering me up, too, which isn't always easy. And to Ceolsige, for the fanart.

---

Something Wicked

Chapter 15

By Amethyst Bubble

---

Ninian had a bad feeling that morning. Something wasn't right. Something had happened, or was happening, or was going to happen. But whatever it was and whenever it happened, she wasn't going to like it.

Restlessly, she brushed her long hair away from her face as she slid on her sandals. "Nils, I'm going out for a while," she called, peering around the doorway. Her brother was stretched out on the bed, enjoying the cable TV in their shared hotel room.

"Where are you going?" he asked, putting down the remote and sitting up.

She shrugged, shouldering her bag, "I want to see how everyone else has settled in over at that apartment complex."

Nils glanced at the clock on the bedside table, then looked back at Ninian. "It's barely 8:30," he stated with a raised eyebrow. "You don't actually expect any of them to be awake, do you?"

Laughing lightly, she held up her hands in a helpless gesture. "By the time I get there, I'm sure at least Rath will be up. Fiora, too and maybe Lyn."

"Good luck," Nils snorted, resuming his channel flipping. "Why're you taking your cards?"

Ninian blinked down at her bag, "Oh... I hadn't even realized. I suppose it's more habit than anything at this point. Why, do you want me to leave them for you?"

Nils made a face. "No, thank you. I prefer runes and stones." he gestured airily to the bedside table where an assortment of small velvet bags lay. Ninian let out a disappointed sigh and Nils rolled his eyes. "Geez, you and your insistence that I marry my Rider-Waite deck. Next thing you know, I'll be getting angry phone calls in the night from Hannah, yelling at me to use that crystal ball she gave me last year."

"Might want to reconsider those words, Nils," Ninian said, narrowing her eyes and placing a hand on her hip. "I don't believe Hannah knows that you've been using that crystal ball as a paperweight... just imagine how disappointed she'll be-- well, her _and _her cane..."

Nils gulped, "Yes, ma'am. I'll be quiet."

"Anyway," Ninian changed the subject, "do you want to come with me?"

"Not really," Nils answered, flipping onto his back and staring at the TV screen upside down. "I'm kind of enjoying my freedom here. We've got about fifty channels, none of which Hannah would _ever _approve of me watching. Except maybe that weather channel, because she finds it funny when her predictions contradict the five day forecast. Have a good time. Try and bring me back some bootlegged action movies."

"I will, I won't and don't eat anything in the mini-bar." Ninian instructed, "Bye, Nils!"

"Bye!"

Ninian closed the door neatly behind her, tucking her room key into her pocket. She opted for the elevator instead of the stairs and was outside before she knew it. It was sunny, though not very hot yet and she found the temperature to be just right. Deciding she'd rather not take her chances with the subway-- she didn't like underground spaces-- she began walking in what she hoped was the right direction. With any luck, her seer's intuition would guide her in the right direction.

Waylaid by a few interesting bookstores and herb shops, she arrived a half an hour later then she planned to with her bag considerably heavier. Still, few people were awake. Fiora was on her way out to the library and Lyn was doting on the various houseplants in the lobby. The new boy, Wil, was standing over her, listening to her explanations.

"You have to learn how to listen to the plants," Lyn said patiently, sprinkling water on a wilting fern. "Of course, sometimes you can just look at them and diagnose what's wrong... this one here obviously needs more water, and a little more sunlight. I don't want to risk moving it, though, who knows what the landlady would say." She laughed and Wil joined in.

"She'd throw a fit if she noticed someone had moved it," he agreed.

"Good morning," Ninian greeted. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Lyn straightened up, wiping her hands on the leg of her pants. "Morning, Ninian. I was just telling Wil a little bit about plant magic." She smiled, "How's your stay in the city been so far?"

"Enjoyable," Ninian answered, returning the smile. "And you? How have you been?"

"Oh, fine, fine. No trauma as of yet," Lyn said with a playful roll of her eyes. "All though it was quite a pain getting in here in the first place."

"Is that so?" Ninian asked out of politeness more than curiosity. She only half-listening as Wil and Lyn took turns explaining exactly what had happened and how annoying it had been. _Good_, she thought to herself with a small sigh of relief. _Then nothing's happened yet._

---

Blinking as the sunlight filtered through the windows, Heath glanced at Legault's watch, conveniently located on the arm slung over him.

"9:30," he muttered sleepily, tipping his head back. If he left within the next five minutes, he wouldn't be horribly late for Vaida's proposed meeting. Carefully removing Legault's arm from around his middle, he sat up and stretched. "Lucky thing he's a heavy sleeper…"

Still dressed in yesterday's clothes, Heath grabbed a shirt from one of the open suitcases that lay on the floor. Changing his shirt quickly and not worrying about his jeans- they were clean enough-, he dragged his fingers through his hair and stuffed his feet into his shoes all in one hasty movement.

His hand was on the doorknob when he hesitated, glancing back at the bed and, more importantly, Legault. Heath realized he was being stupid. He shouldn't be meeting with Vaida after both he and Legault had worked so hard to get him away from her and Eubans. It was idiotic.

He was going to do it anyway.

"Goodbye," he said quietly, slipping out the door. _I'm not worried_, he told himself as trudged down the stairs, and it was the truth. He wasn't. Actually, he was almost looking forward to seeing Vaida again. There were some things he wanted to ask her.

"Morning," he said as he reached the lobby, smiling at the few people scattered around it. Lyn returned the smile and Wil echoed him with a "morning" of his own. Ninian was there too, but when she smiled, it was shaky and pained. He shrugged it off without a second thought as he stepped outside.

Deciding to walk rather than take the subway, Heath glanced at the address on the note before heading off. Despite the fact that he hadn't wandered the city in ages, his memory of it was clearer than it had ever been before. He even made better time than he had expected to.

Heath found her sitting at an outdoor table. There was a newspaper in her hand, but he could tell she wasn't reading. Her eyes scanned the crowd in a critical manner and there was a half-empty cup of espresso in front of her. He shook his head before clearing his throat.

"Hello, Vaida."

---

"Well, I'd better be heading back upstairs," Lyn excused herself. "Florina wanted me to go over a few spells with her this morning and I don't want to keep her waiting. See you later!" She trotted up the stairs, flashing Wil and Ninian a grin right before she slipped out of sight.

Ninian was paler than usual and noticeably shaken. She nodded at the spot Lyn had occupied a moment before, seemingly not noticing that the other girl had left.

Wil took a step closer to her, concerned. "Are you okay? You look pretty green… are you sick?" his hand hovered near her elbow, ready to grab her if she should waver. "Should I get somebody? A doctor, or healer, anybody?"

"I'm… I'll be fine in a moment," Ninian said, closing her eyes. "I just… have a bad feeling. I've had it since this morning, really, but when that man just walked by..."

"Heath?" Wil guessed, hoping that was the right name. He'd been working hard to memorize everyone's names. "Something about him?"

Ninian nodded solemnly, finally opening her eyes. "Something's going to happen…" she said it quietly, almost too quietly for him to catch.

Wil hesitated, a rare thing for him, before going with his gut instinct. "Well, we should follow him, then."

"…What?" Ninian blinked and looked up suddenly, an odd expression pasted over her face.

"Okay, I'll admit it sounds stalker-ish, but if you think about it, it's not entirely a bad idea. This way, if something does happen, we'll be there to help! Or, at least, run away and _get _help! And if nothing happens, then nothing happens and we'll just feel silly! One way or another, it's a no-lose situation!" he explained cheerily. "I mean, unless you're one of those people who really hates feeling silly…"

She bit her lip, "Well… I don't know…"

"The way I see it," Wil said, sounding unusually serious. "If something _does _happen and we just sit here and do nothing, we'll regret it forever. There's not a lot that's worse then regret."

With a sigh, Ninian conceded, "We'd better hurry."

"Right!" Wil brightened immediately, catching her hand and dragging her through the doors and down the steps. "Err… I don't see him… I guess we took to long."

"Give me a moment," Ninian said, taking a deep breath. After a second, she said in a strong voice, "He went left."

Wil glanced at Ninian. Her eyes had a glassy look to them, like she had a fever, and for a second he was afraid that she was going to collapse after all. Then it struck him that she might be in some sort of a trance. He'd never seen anyone in a trance before, besides that one time with Guy, and that was pretty different. But when he was little he had seen someone do something similar in a movie… there was no reason this _couldn't_ be a trance. If she collapsed later, though, he was going to be in trouble.

"You're a psychic, right?" he peered down at her, biting his lip. "So I guess I'd better trust you… Left we go!" He began to walk forward, quickly, keeping an eye on Ninian the whole time. She was keeping up with him, but her gaze was still unfocused.

"Turn right at the next corner." she suddenly instructed, startling him. "Just walk straight after that. It isn't very far away."

For once, Wil decided to keep his mouth shut and not ask any questions.

---

"Uncle Legault," Nino trilled, peering around the edge of the door. "It's time to… get up…" she finished sheepishly upon seeing that he was already awake and looking just a bit agitated.

"Morning, Nino," he greeted, raising a hand in acknowledgement. She stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. Glancing around the room, she noticed that someone was missing.

"Where's Heath?"

"Gone," Legault replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. Nino gaped.

"Gone?" she echoed, tilting her head to one side. "Where would he go?"

Legault sighed and rolled his eyes, not so much at her but at the missing man. "To meet an old _friend_." The way he accented the word "friend" made Nino suspect that this person wasn't actually much of a friend at all. She envisioned some shadowy figure briefly before clearing her head of such thoughts.

"He told you that?" she asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He shrugged in reply and she narrowed her eyes. "Uncle _Legault_…" her tone was suspicious and her eyebrows were raised.

"He was visibly nervous yesterday and when I questioned him he said nothing was wrong," Legault explained, meeting Nino's gaze. "So when he fell asleep last night I rummaged through his pockets and found a note. I have my suspicions about who it's from."

"You went through his things?" Nino scowled, "Uncle Legault, that's dirty."

He gave her a _look_. "Well, if he wasn't going to tell me…"

"Oh, I know, I know," she gave him a lopsided smile. "So, what're you going to do now?" Nino looked up at Legault expectantly, as if awaiting some complicated but no doubt brilliant plan of attack.

What she got instead was rather disappointing. "Nothing."

Her jaw dropped. "What do you mean, _nothing_?"

He shrugged and repeated what he had said before, "Nothing. Contrary to popular belief, Nino, I'm not going to stalk Heath. Obviously, he didn't want me to know about this meeting, so I'm not going to follow him and I'm not going to ask him about it. If he wants to tell me, he'll tell me. And if not, he won't."

"Wow," Nino murmured in awe. "Love has totally brainwashed you."

"It has not," Legault objected, looking rather offended.

"Has so," Nino retorted, sticking her tongue out. She stood up and grinned up at him. "I give it two hours before you start tracking him."

"Give me a little more credit than that," he teased, reaching out to ruffle her hair. She clucked her tongue but left the subject alone.

"I'm thinking about going for a walk," Nino announced, rocking back on her heels. "Want to come with me?"

"No," Legault shook his head. "I've got a few errands to run myself."

"Oh, I'll come with you!" she smiled eagerly, "I didn't really have anywhere to go myself- I just wanted to get out!"

"Nino," Legault said evenly, placing a hand on top of her head. "I'd like to go alone, if you don't mind." She blinked up at him and he decided to elaborate, "I'm sure you've realized that this place is very close to…" he trailed off as her eyes lit up in recognition.

"Oh… I hadn't… Is it really _that _close?" she finally asked. He nodded grimly.

"Don't go too far south," he instructed. She nodded blankly, eyes wide. Satisfied, he turned to leave, quickly slipping out the door. With a shake of her head, Nino followed him, jogging until she caught up.

"Nino, I told you, I'm not taking you with me," Legault began but Nino quickly cut him off.

She shook her head. "I wouldn't even recognize the place anymore. I just wanted to tell you to be careful, okay?"

He glanced down at her with an exasperated exclamation on the tip of his tongue. Then, upon seeing her pleading expression, he couldn't help but laugh. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're worried for me? Nino, you should know better by now! But I'll try and stay out of trouble all the same. I was only planning a bit of investigative work anyway. For all I know, they're long gone by now."

"You think so…?" she asked, doubtful. Legault sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

"To be honest?" he began as they as the exited the building. "No. I don't believe they're gone. At least, not in the sense you were thinking. It's more than possible that they moved to a different location after the… incident. Other than that, though? Not a chance."

"I didn't think so," Nino said with a sad little sigh as she took the steps two at a time.

Legault decided there was no harm in their taking the first few blocks together; as soon as they got close enough, he'd send Nino in the opposite direction. "It's inconvenient," he announced suddenly. "Figures that we'd be placed so conveniently close to… _that_." He made a vague gesture.

Nino nodded agreeably before a thought struck her. "You could've gotten us farther away if you had wanted to, Uncle." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye suspiciously, as if she were trying to piece together his true motives. "You could have gotten us into that hotel some of the others are staying in."

"That would have been even worse," he said, though he didn't look her in the eye. "Much too close to the place Heath came from. I didn't particularly want to take him back to that area."

Nino didn't buy it. "Well, you could have gotten us into some place between the two. There are plenty of hotels in the city." She continued to watch him. He never flinched, but she could tell she had stumbled upon something.

"I didn't think of that possibility," Legault lied.

"Oh, please," Nino responded, giving him a look that stated that she saw through his act as if it was a sheet of plastic wrap. "You _wanted _to be this close. You planned on investigating all along."

Legault couldn't mask the prideful smirk on face, obviously glad that Nino had figured it all out. He didn't affirm her suspicions, however, simply saying, "Of course not." He ruffled her hair. "It's almost time for us to split up," he changed the subject, nodding towards the end of the block. "I'm going south. You're going north. Once we part, don't even look back."

Nino pouted a little, but listened to his words. Right before they reached the point where they would go their separate ways, she threw her arms around his middle in an impromptu hug, saying, "Be careful, Uncle Legault."

"I'll see you in a few hours, Nino," he replied as she let go. "If you happen to meet Heath anywhere, stick close to him. He may not be a witch, but I know from personal experience that he can throw a nasty punch."

"I bet you do," she raised an eyebrow. "And you're the one chasing after danger, not me. I'll be fine!"

"All right. I'll see you in a little while, Nino." Legault turned, waving over his shoulder. Nino headed in the opposite direction and it was only a moment before an overwhelming curiosity overcame her. She glanced back, trying to catch a glimpse of Legault, but he was gone. Not lost in the crowd (there wasn't really a crowd at all), just… gone. She thought glimpsed a shadow that resembled his along the sidewalk, but the next thing she knew it too had disappeared. Deciding not to let it bother her, she set off in search of something fun to do.

She didn't find anything. There were a few bookstores and she did like books, despite having learned to read rather later in life than most. Legault was many things, but he wasn't a great tutor, especially when it came to reading.

Nino quickly discovered that she wasn't going to find anything to read in these stores. She wrinkled her nose as she browsed through the titles. Were they _all _about herbs? That wasn't much fun.

"No novels _at all_," she murmured dejectedly to herself as she stepped out of yet another store. She glanced around the sunny street, wondering where she should go next. The area ahead of her was getting increasingly residential. The area behind her had no good bookstores. The area to her left was a dead-end. The area to her right, however, might lead somewhere. It was an alley, though, and a dark one at that.

Nino shuddered. It was such a cliché, but it was creepy all the same. Then she pulled herself together. She wasn't afraid of any alley-- and she'd prove it, too. Even though the alley was completely empty, making it yet creepier.

Clenching her hands into fists, she strode forward confidently, reminding herself that she could always teleport herself somewhere else, so long as there were puddles.

Nino glanced around. There weren't any puddles. There wasn't even a drop of water. She walked on anyway. Halfway through, she stopped, a shiver running down her back. She knew this feeling.

Someone was watching her. She looked behind her; nothing. Frowning, she looked up. She caught a flash of black cloth and red eyes. And then it was gone.

Nino began to run back the way she'd come. Combat wasn't her specialty and she was all alone, in a dark alley. Running was her best option. By the time she'd reached the alley's mouth and had dashed back out into the sunshine, she realized that the feeling was gone- she was no longer being watched.

Nino kept glancing over her shoulder all the way home.

---

Farina had never expected to meet a vampire. Sure, she'd _heard _of them, and the fact that they existed had registered faintly in her mind, but she'd never expected to actually meet one. They were an endangered species, after all.

_Fiora would be so jealous_, she thought to herself with a wicked grin.

And a full-blooded vampire at that, she added, her grin widening. A full-blooded vampire looking for another full-blooded vampire. It just got better and better! She couldn't wait to tell Fiora!

Then she sobered up. She _couldn't_ tell Fiora, could she? That was the injustice of it all.

"You make one little mistake," she said aloud to break the insufferable silence. "And then you can't rub the fact that you met a _vampire_ in your sister's face. Thanks, fate, that was _real _nice of you."

She got the distinct feeling that fate was pointing and laughing at her. Laughing so hard, in fact, that it was doubled over in mirth, pounding its fist against the nearest solid surface and making all its friends wonder what the heck was wrong with it.

Farina wanted to hit something. She really did.

---

The silence that passed between them was a little more than awkward. All Heath had said besides the greeting he'd given was, "coffee, please" when a waiter asked him what he'd be having.

He fidgeted.

If it was possible for Vaida to fidget, she would have too. Instead, she took a long sip of her own cup of coffee. Finally, she put down the cup and spoke, "I suppose you want to know what happened."

"Not really," he said genuinely. "Things have come back to me. I've figured most of it out."

On the inside, Vaida sighed with relief. On the outside she gazed at him with stony approval. "I suspected you would remember. The hex was on the room, not you."

"Oh," Heath said simply. "That makes a lot more sense."

The silence settled over them once again. Heath cradled his cup in his hands, watching the steam rise. "So… you… aren't going to be taking me back, are you?"

She snorted and a feeling of relief spread through him, the knot of panic in his chest coming undone. "Don't be stupid," she said forcefully. "If anything, I'm _glad _you managed to escape. Your rescuer is another matter. You had better hope I never see him again or I _will _tear that man limb from limb. _Anyone _who locks me in a closet with Eubans goes on my hit-list."

"I'll, uh, relay that to Legault," Heath muttered, glancing at the street out of the corner of his eye.

"Good." Vaida said. Then she reached into her pocket and thrust a small scrap of paper at Heath. Confused, he took it, unfolded it and made a small noise of acknowledgment. "You worked hard to remember them." She leaned back slightly, looking him over. "I imagine it was difficult."

Heath shrugged slightly, "I didn't want to forget them."

Vaida nods, before narrowing her eyes. "And you worked hard not to forget _that man_." The way she said it made Heath fear for Legault's safety.

"More like he was one determined bastard," he muttered under his breath.

"Heh," Vaida sneered slightly. "Felt that way about you, did he?"

Heath, who had been conveniently taking a sip of his coffee at that moment, nearly spit it out. He hadn't expected _Vaida _of all people to say that to him. He managed to swallow and panted out, "What? No! I mean, it's not, we're not, he's not… all right, you win, yeah." He flushed and looked away, deciding that the building across the street was particularly fascinating. Vaida's sneer widened.

"Had to have been frustrating for him," she said with something Heath would have liked to believe was not glee in her voice. He tried to ignore the sneer, too, but it was difficult.

"Err, it was," he allowed and silently prayed that Vaida and Legault would never meet face-to-face. He had a feeling that that would not be a fun experience. There would probably be arguing. And then blood. And he'd end up being an idiot and getting in between them.

Vaida nodded the sneer still evident upon her lips. Then, she demanded, "How long did you know him?"

Heath bit his lip and looked up at the clear blue sky, "I'm not certain. The more recent stuff still isn't very clear."

"Give me an estimate."

"I don't know… a few months to a year. About that, I think." The way she raised an eyebrow made him flinch slightly. He had an eerie feeling that this is the calm before the storm.

"That long?" she hissed. "And neither Eubans nor I noticed?"

Heath nodded slowly, "Legault's, err, very..." he searched for the right word, "Calculating?"

"Sneaky," Vaida all but spat. "Like a weasel." Heath had no problem seeing Legault as a weasel, which made him feel a little guilty. The guilt was quickly countered by amusement.

"That… works too…" he admitted slowly.

The sneer slowly dissolved from Vaida's face as she changed the subject. "So… you know _why_--"

Normally, Heath would not have dreamed of cutting off Vaida. This, however, was a special case. He didn't really want to hear what she was going to say next. "I know," he interrupted, meeting her eyes evenly. When she looked slightly taken aback, he elaborated, "I said it before. I remember. Some of it's still a little blurry, but… I remember pretty much everything."

Her eyes fell on his arms, bared by the rolled up sleeves off his shirt. "The scars are gone," she observed.

"Huh? Oh, those," he smiled slightly. "Some sort of magic healing stuff. Legault insisted. They're still there, actually, just a lot fainter now."

She scrutinized his arms for another moment before looking up at him and asking gruffly, "Does he know?"

Heath groaned, leaning back in his seat. "I've got no idea. Sometimes it seems like he does, but he hasn't said anything." He sat back up, gazing at the sky. "I get the feeling he's waiting for _me _to tell him."

"And will you?" Vaida asked in the tone of someone who didn't really care but was asking anyway because there wasn't much else to say.

Heath shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe."

Vaida nodded. She decided to leave shortly after that, wishing Heath good luck (though not so much in words) and placing her half of the check on the table. He watched her go, expertly weaving her way into the crowd, before paying and leaving himself. He felt a little relieved that nothing had happened; he hadn't thought that anything _would_, but it was still a relief.

At least, it was, until something actually did happen. He noticed the car trailing him a few moments too late.

---

Ninian and Wil noticed the car while Heath and Vaida were still talking. It had been parked on the street, but the people inside hadn't got out. Wil didn't find this particularly suspicious.

"People sit in their cars sometimes," he said, making a complex and rather confusing hand gesture. "Doesn't mean anything. Sometimes they're eating lunch, or doing work, or sleeping, or…"

Ninian, whose trance had broken after a short while, tuned him out and focused on the people inside the car. There were three of them, she determined, squinting. One of them definitely had bad intentions; they rolled off him in waves, so thick she could almost feel it. The other two only had money on their thoughts. Ninian had learned not to trust people who only thought of money long ago.

"I don't like this," she said, shaking her head from side to side.

"It's probably nothing," Wil said.

They continued to watch. Ninian's bad feeling remained exactly where it was; she was certain that _something _was going to happen. She told this to Wil, who frowned and chatted absentmindedly about how maybe nothing _really _bad would happen.

Forty-five minutes later when he was tied to a folding chair in a dimly lit room, Wil thought that just maybe he had spoken too soon.

---

"Hey, Guy. C'mon, get up," Matthew shook the sleeping boy by the shoulder. "Rath wants to talk to you."

"Mrr," Guy swatted ineffectively at Matthew's hand. "Go 'way."

"I'm not telling that to Rath," Matthew replied, yanking on Guy's braid. "Get up before he kills me."

Guy scooted away from the other man, pulling the blanket up over his head. "Fine," came his slightly muffled voice. "Let him kill you. I'll make sure you have n-nice funeral."

"No faaaair," Matthew mock-whined, making Guy wince from beneath his blanket cocoon. Matthew sat down on the bed cross-legged, reaching over and tugging the blankets away from Guy. "He's your cousin. If he's murdering anyone, it should be you. I'd prefer to be just an innocent bystander."

Guy snorted.

Matthew poked him, hard. Guy squirmed and managed to kick Matthew in the shin. Scowling, Matthew grabbed at the blankets again and pulled, sending Guy toppling over the bed. He squawked as Matthew leaned over, leering down at him.

"So, now that you're up…"

"I hate you." He lifted himself up onto his hands and knees, his face burning. "N-now shoo. Get out."

Matthew obeyed with a spring in his step. As soon as he had gone, Guy dragged himself back onto the bed and buried his face in the nearest pillow. "I really hate him," he said aloud, well aware of the fact that he wasn't kidding anybody.

Rath was waiting in the hallway when he walked out of his room minutes later. Matthew was conspicuously missing. Guy figured that he must have left as soon as he heard Rath approaching. "Morning," he said to Rath, trying not to yawn.

"Have you seen Wil…?" Rath asked, looking up and down the hallways.

Guy pressed a hand against his mouth to stifle another yawn. "Not since last night, no," he replied, blinking. "Why?"

"…Nothing," Rath replied, beginning to walk off. Guy watched him go with a raised eyebrow. Then someone clasped his shoulder from behind and he nearly jumped a foot in the air.

"You h-h-have to stop doing that!" he hissed, glaring over his shoulder at Matthew. The other shrugged, peering down the hallway. "Were you hiding in the _wall_?" his question went ignored, not that Guy wasn't used to that.

"So, another one's missing?" he murmured to himself, absentmindedly tightening his grip on Guy's shoulder.

Guy twisted around to look at Matthew. "What're you talking about…?" he asked, giving him a mildly worried look. Matthew gave the hallway another conspiratorial glance, before looking down at Guy.

"Good couple of people left early today without saying much of anything," he said in a low tone. "Some of them have got reasons, I know, but still..." his eyes narrowed a bit. Guy's, in comparison, widened.

"What are you getting at?" he asked, a tad suspiciously. Matthew's hand lingered on his shoulder for a minute before he let it return to his side.

"Nothing, nothing," he said. "Don't worry about it. C'mon, you want breakfast, don't you?" he threw a glance over his shoulder at Guy as he started to walk away.

"…Yeah. Sure." Guy said distractedly, following Matthew. He decided not to ask any questions. Not yet, anyway. He'd bring them up later.

Something was definitely not right.

---

Even a young boy could only watch so much television before he started to get bored with it. Nils had just about reached his limit. He lay on his back, his head dangling off the end of the bed as if he hoped that looking at the screen upside down would somehow make the programming more interesting.

It wasn't working.

He groaned. At least the blood rushing to his head distracted him slightly from the utter boredom that the shopping network was generating. He sighed. Daytime television wasn't exactly the most exciting thing around. At that moment, Nils' options consisted of infomercials, really horrible cartoons and the shopping network. Perhaps unwisely, he had chosen the shopping network, figuring it would be the lesser of evils.

Twenty minutes later he figured that he might have been wrong after all.

Sitting up, Nils looked over at the clock. How many hours had it been since Ninian left? A couple, at least. He frowned. His sister never left him alone for that long. Though he told himself not to, he couldn't help but worry a little bit. He wondered if he should go looking for her. At the very least, he could wander down to where the others were staying and meet up with her.

Well, he didn't have anything better to do and if he kept watching the shopping network he did believe he would go insane. He hopped off the bed, turned off the television and fetched his shoes. Within a matter of moments he was out of the apartment and in the elevator. Another few moments and he was out the hotel door and on the streets of New York. Now, if could only remember where that apartment building _was_…

---

Chapter 15- End

---

Alright, I'll be the first to admit it-- this chapter is filler. Necessary filler, yes, because I needed most of this to bridge the gap between this and the next chapter. Hopefully, though, it was enjoyable filler.

Reviews are, as always, very appreciated. Hope you all enjoyed! Thanks so much for not throwing rotten vegetables at me for the late update last time. Could we keep that up, please? If not… okay.


	16. Black Markets and the Black Fang

Author's Notes: This week on Authors Who Take Extremely Long to Update, Amethyst Bubble has released the following statement: sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorry. She requests not to be poked with twigs, if at all possible.

Eheh. But, hey, look, I did update! And the vague starts to slowly unwind in this chapter, too. Why, yes, that seems to be an inkling of plot there. In other news, I'm headed off to Bermuda for a week for my mother's birthday. I plan to actually make a timeline for the rest of the fic while there. Organization, whoo. On another note...

OVER 200 REVIEWS. OH, WOW. You're all amazing! I am going to shower you with confetti now! Thank you all so much!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Fire Emblem. Sigh.

**---**

**Something Wicked**

**Chapter 16**

**By Amethyst Bubble**

**---**

"Mm, caffeine…" Guy sighed happily as he breathed in the steam from the cup of coffee in front of him.

"You sound like an old lady," Matthew noted, grinning at Guy from across the outdoor table. Guy scowled and muttered something into his beverage. "Sorry, didn't catch that." Matthew's grin widened.

"Matthew," Guy began after a minute and a long sip of coffee. "What were you saying this morning? About, well, missing people? Is… is something going on?" Perhaps the attack had installed a bit of paranoia in him, but he couldn't stop the nervousness that gathered in the pit of his stomach.

Matthew's hesitation was barely noticeable, but Guy spotted it all the same. "It's nothing you have to worry about," he slumped back in his seat a bit and ran a hand through his sandy hair. "They just went exploring. Most of 'em don't get into New York City much…"

"Sure," Guy propped his chin up on his hands. "What's _really _going on?"

Matthew's grin never faltered, but something in his gaze hardened. "What, you think I'm lying to you? Why ever would I do that?"

"Because you're… well, you're y-you." Guy frowned and continued, "So, are you going to tell me?" He leaned forward and attempted to glare fiercely at Matthew. From the amused look on the other's face, he was pretty sure he had failed at the fierce part, let alone the glaring.

The taller man snickered. "Alright, alright, don't give me that look," he paused for a moment and took a long sip of his own coffee. He continued, "I don't know anything specific, but information has found its way to my ears." Guy snorted at his wording.

"Sounds kind of shady," Guy said lightly, his tone full of suspicion.

Matthew shrugged with a careless air, "Shady is relative. Anyway, as you probably guessed from our run-ins with those hunters yesterday, the city's pretty much crawling with them. I wouldn't worry too much about any of our group. Apparently the hunters here aren't well organized, but… there's something happening. That's all I've heard."

"Something?" Guy repeated doubtfully, "Something… Matthew, don't you know anything more, I--I don't know… don't you know anything more specific?"

"Sorry," Matthew replied, leaning back. "But, like I said, don't worry. We know what we're doing."

"Who's this 'we' you keep talking about?" Guy raised one eyebrow, giving Matthew a curious stare.

Matthew returned the stare with an amused one of his own, "Well, us, of course. Our group. Who else?"

"I don't know. Y-Your evil conspirators?" Guy accused, his face taking on a red tinge.

Matthew burst out laughing. "Evil conspirators?" he asked when he finally took a breath, his eyes dancing. "Guy, have you been watching spy movies? I assure you, I have no "evil conspirators" on my side."

"…You sure? You'd b-be the type," Guy muttered into his beverage, looking just slightly embarrassed. The fact that Matthew had _laughed _certainly wasn't helping any.

"I swear, I have no evil conspirators," Matthew held a hand over his heart.

"You'd better not," Guy replied sulkily, sinking into his chair.

---

"_Your circles are interesting."_

Wil glanced up, but he couldn't find the source of the voice. He was all alone, concrete under his feet and fog obscuring his view of the sky. He peered into the distance, but all he could make out were some odd iron bars in the distance.

"_You're interesting, too."_

He felt as if wind was swirling around him, but nothing moved in the strange landscape, and nothing moved on him. If it was really windy, he realized, his clothing and hair would've swayed with the wind, but they were as still as the ground under his feet.

"_Such a strange child…"_

"I'm not strange," he said bluntly. His voice sounded foreign to him, echoing as if he were enclosed. He stuck his arms straight out, but his fingertips met nothing but still air.

"_Oh, but you are. Just look at the markings."_

"What markings?" Wil asked just as his eyes landed on them. He brought his hands up to his face, staring intently at them. Blue and silver swirls circled one, while green vines were woven around the other. He brushed a hand against the arm with the vines, trying to smudge or dislodge the design, but it stayed where it was. His skin felt no different from usual under his fingertips. "Why are these here? Why do I have tattoos all of a sudden? I don't like tattoos, mostly because of the needles, but…" he trailed off, transfixed by the designs.

"_They're all over you."_

"What? Really? How come?" Wil bent down and pulled up the leg of his pants. Sure enough, one leg sported swirls while the other was decorated with vines. Next he pulled up his shirt and tried to get a good look at his stomach.

"_Tsk, what're you doing that for? There's a mirror right in front of you."_

And then, suddenly, there was a mirror there, right in front of him, even though Wil could've sworn there was nothing there a second before.

"What's going on? Why's this stuff all over my face?" he asked, trying to ignore the echo that threw the questions back at him. The designs were painted over every inch of visible skin, right up to his hairline. He wondered, running a hand through his hair, if they were on his scalp too, concealed by his hair. "These weren't here before. Why have I got 'em now? How'd they get all over me?" he demanded to know, glaring into the mirror. His reflection glared right back.

"_You'll find that out soon enough. It's not important right now."_

"But it _is _important!" Wil protested, twisting around to try and see where the voice was coming from. "There's stuff drawn on my face! That's pretty damn important!"

"_It doesn't matter at the moment."_

"I think it matters," Wil muttered. "If there was stuff on your face, it'd matter to you. If you have a face. Right now, you're kind of all disembodied voice-like and disembodied voices tend not to have, well, bodies, which usually means they don't have faces…"

"_Look at the clocks."_

And suddenly, there were clocks. Wil looked at them curiously, a little annoyed that they were blocking his view of the mirror. He wanted to take a closer look at the designs on his skin. "Why are all the clocks moving backwards?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, if they were all five minutes behind or something that'd be understandable because hardly any clock is ever exactly on time, but these are all moving backwards."

"_So you won't remember."_

Then all of a sudden Wil realized the clocks had bodies. Or, rather, the faces of the bodies were clocks, all moving backward. It was like some surreal painting, he thought, except it was much weirder when it was standing right in front of you.

One of the bodies moved and that was that. Wil took off running in the opposite direction. The air was heavy and it seemed to fight him with all its might. He tripped over an invisible something and toppled to the ground. There were footsteps behind him, he could hear them clearly, though when he looked in that direction there was nothing there. The designs on his arms began to burn and…

His eyes snapped open to reveal a dimly lit room. He glanced down and managed to get a look at his elbow. No designs. Had it been a dream? "One weird dream…" he said to himself. His arms still hurt.

"Are you awake?"

Wil's head snapped up. The first thing he saw was a folding chair with a broken leg lying in a corner. Turning his head, he spotted Heath sitting on a bed, one knee drawn up to his chest and a nervous half-smile on his face. It took Wil a moment to register the fact that one of Heath's wrists was handcuffed to the bed post. It took him yet another moment to realize that he himself seemed to be tied to a chair.

_What a pleasant way to wake up_, he couldn't help but mentally roll his eyes, flexing his wrists against the rope that bound them. He winced; okay, that wasn't such a good idea.

"He's awake?" a female voice asked from behind him. Groggily, he identified it as Ninian's.

"I think so," Heath replied, staring over Wil's shoulder. Wil twisted around as best as he could and, out of the corner of his eye, caught a glance of Ninian's long hair. It was then that the brunt of the situation hit him: he had, essentially, gotten himself and Ninian kidnapped. Well, that wasn't good.

"Err…" Wil decided that he had to ask, even if no one had an answer. "Where are we?"

"He knows," Ninian's voice reached Wil's ears. He assumed she was talking about Heath. "But I have a feeling it's a very long story…"

The look on Heath's face confirmed Ninian's speculation.

---

Legault was mildly surprised when he arrived at the former headquarters of the infamous Black Fang. The Black Fang was long gone from the place, that much was obvious and honestly Legault had expected as much. In its place, though, was something equally fascinating.

The magical black market. The mere mention of the name caused uproar in the more "respectable" parts of the magical community. Rumors were everywhere, twisting and bending the truth to the whims of the imagination.

Legault hadn't seen it in years but he recognized it in an instant. Though it constantly moved from place to place, it never really changed all that much. He couldn't help but explore it a bit. It was, after all, just like old times.

The market seemed to be exactly the same as the last time he had seen it. There were still stalls selling every not exactly legal magical item imaginable. Bottled fairies' wings, possessed mirrors, captured demons, love potions and a few things that were probably not magical but almost definitely illegal.

Between rows of smoking cauldrons and fluorescently colored plants walked people who looked half-human. A man in a heavy cloak swept by, a troupe of petit women with wings that glittered in the sunlight following him obediently. Legault smiled to himself, gaze following the man as he walked along. He would be mugged by the end of the afternoon, no doubt about it.

Then, in the wake of the man's shadow, stood a stall that caught Legault's interest the second he saw it.

---

"Something just isn't right." Hannah announced as Louise sat down across from her.

"Oh?" Louise tilted her head to the side, a stray blonde lock falling into her face. She brushed it aside quickly.

Hannah nodded gravely, with all the excitement of one who enjoyed a good piece of bad news. She said, "I can smell it in the air. Damp today, isn't it?"

"Well, yes," Louise agreed, not really understanding what that had to do with the possibility of oncoming doom.

"Even though it's sunny out," Hannah continued.

Louise nodded, wondering if the conversation had really just been about the weather all along. How silly of her to assume the worst. "It's supposed to rain tonight," she added.

"And it will…" Hannah said slowly. She propped her elbows up on the table and knitted her fingers together. "I'd advise you to get in contact with those children. Tell them to keep an eye out. Stick together. Something like that."

Louise, deeply concerned now, nodded, "I'll try and call Erk, shall I? Should I tell him anything specific, Hannah?"

Hannah eyed her knowingly, her lips pressed into a thin line. She seemed to be wondering whether or not to disclose any information. Ah, she remembered the good old days, back in her youth. She'd been a professional fortune teller then and had been _paid _to give information like this. She'd made quite a splash in those days…

"Hannah?" the blonde woman across from her repeated, a small frown forming on her pretty face.

The old woman shook her head slowly, snapping out of her daydreams of the past. "No, nothing in specific," she said. "But perhaps you'd better tell him to stay inside."

Louise smiled slightly. "Thank you, Hannah," she said, standing up. "I'll be going now. If there's anything you need…"

"I won't need anything," Hannah stated flatly.

Louise's smile stayed firmly in place. "Just in case," she added over her shoulder as she began her trip down the stairs. She shut the trapdoor carefully and, out of the corner of her eye, spotted Pent making his way downstairs.

She caught up with him and relayed what Hannah had told her. "I thought I should give Erk a call," she commented. "Tell him to warn the rest."

Pent shifted the stack of books he was carrying. "That's probably for the best," he agreed, studying his wife. "Another tragedy on our hands is the last thing we need."

---

"I'd explain if we had the time," Heath said with a sidelong glance at the door. "We don't, though and we have to get out of here. The quicker, the better."

"How are we going to do that?" Wil asked, testing the ropes that bound his wrists. The only thing they did was cut more into his skin, so he stopped after another moment of wriggling. "My ropes are pretty tight, and Ninian's are too probably, and-- look at you! You're _handcuffed_!" he exclaimed, nodding towards Heath's wrist.

Heath sighed. "Look, I've got a plan, okay? It's not a great one, but it has a decent chance of getting us out of here if you two work with me."

"Well, we haven't really got a choice…" Ninian mumbled, experimenting with her own ropes. When she got nowhere, she heaved a deep sigh and regretted the fact that offensive magic had never really been her field. Louise, she realized with a small sigh, could have sliced through the ropes in a minute.

Heath's expression melted into a half-smile. "Alright," he breathed, free hand sliding over to the handcuffed one. "I _think _I can get myself out of these, given enough time." When Wil gaped, Heath explained, "Legault taught me a trick. Not bad knowing a guy like him, sometimes." He grumbled the last part, as if admitting it was some sort of hated chore.

"What if someone comes in here?" Ninian spoke up tentatively. Wil twisted around to try and get a look at her; she sounded nervous.

"If they do," Heath said forcefully. "I need you two to act as a distraction. Keep them from figuring out what I'm doing, if you can. You're both witches, right? Would you be able to attack them tied up like that?"

"There's no reason I couldn't…" Ninian reasoned. "Though I'm afraid I'm no master at offensive techniques."

"I'll try," Wil smiled nervously. "But I'm not all that good yet. Really, I'm not any good at all."

"Well, you're still able to do more than me," Heath grinned. "Let's hope I can get out of these cuffs before anyone barges in here, though."

"Yes," Ninian commented. "Let's hope."

---

The ghosts in the apartment building were fascinating, Priscilla found. She was conversing with one particularly talkative lady when Raven entered. The look on his face so startled Priscilla's ghostly companion that the woman turned and melted through the wall without so much as another word.

Priscilla heaved a silent sigh. Her brother managed to scare off all her friends, even the dead ones.

"Do you need anything?" she asked politely, turning to face him.

"Lucius just told me… Erk got a call from Louise," Raven said, hand still resting on the doorknob. Priscilla blinked. There wasn't anything too terribly unusual about that, was there?

"Oh?" she murmured, encouraging him to go on.

Raven gave the window across the room a nasty glare. "According to Lucius, Hannah implied that something bad is going to happen."

Priscilla blinked. "Something bad," she repeated in a contemplative manner. "What sort of something?"

"Don't know," Raven grumbled. "Apparently she was pretty vague. I just thought you should know. And maybe not go out tomorrow… at all. Or today, for that matter."

Priscilla gave her brother a small smile, "Don't worry, Raven, I wasn't planning on going anywhere. There are some fascinating people living here."

"You mean that old bat who screams at me every time I walk down the hall to "stop scowling, or my face will freeze like that"?" Raven raised one eyebrow. Priscilla giggled.

"Maybe living was the wrong word… I meant the ghosts," she explained, brushing a lock of her short red hair behind her ear. "The building is pretty heavily haunted, but not a vengeful spirit to be seen! Though some of them have some interesting things to say about the landlady… and she's right, you know."

Raven blinked, "Who is?"

"The landlady," Priscilla elaborated. "Your face might really freeze that way."

Raven rolled his eyes. Priscilla had to wonder, if Raven's face froze in his usual scowl, would anyone be able to tell the difference? She wasn't so sure.

He was about to reply when Lucius came up from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. "Raven, Priscilla, have either of you seen Ninian today?" he asked.

"No," Raven replied flatly while Priscilla shook her head.

Lucius sighed, swiping at his bangs in a fidgety manner. "That's not good…"

"Is something wrong?" Priscilla asked, getting up from her seat. She reached for her shoes, but Lucius held up a hand.

"It's probably nothing," he said. "We're all still just nervous from the attack. Nils is here, and he's looking for Ninian. Apparently she was supposed to stop by here this morning, but as far as anyone can tell she never showed up."

Priscilla raised one hand to her lips. "I hope she's okay!" she breathed, heading for the door. "Is Nils still here? Maybe we should help him look. Right, Raven?" she gave her brother a hopeful look. He seemed to deflate slightly under her gaze.

"If he absolutely needs our help…" he consented, closing his crimson eyes. Priscilla gave him a bright smile, slipping past him and out the door. She tiptoed down the stairs, not wanting to disturb the ghost of an old man who snored lightly as he floated near the stairwell.

"I--I'm sure she's fine, Nils!" Florina stuttered in the lobby, her hands clasped to her chest. Nils was pacing back and forth, worry written all over his face.

"Maybe she went shopping?" Serra suggested.

Nils shook his head, "I doubt it. What if something happened to her?"

Lyn placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Like Florina said, I'm sure she's fine. The important thing is not to panic. She's probably still in the area. We'll help you look."

---

It wasn't like Wil to just up and disappear. At least, Rath didn't think it was. He had only known his talkative student for a few days after all. Maybe it was like him to vanish, he thought to himself, glancing up and down the crowded street. He didn't see Wil, but it was hard to distinguish one person from the next in the crowd.

The thought had barely flitted across his mind when he managed to spot one very distinct person coming towards him. "Legault," he greeted. The other man nodded in return.

"Out without your student, Rath?" Legault asked, raising one eyebrow in an expression of mild surprise.

Rath said nothing, studying Legault for a minute. Malevolence pored off the other man in waves, but it came not from him but from an outside source. "…Where have you been?" he asked after a moment, eyebrows furrowed.

Legault blinked and then realized Rath was referring to his darker than usual aura. "Oh," he said, straightening the sleeve of his shirt. "Don't worry about that. I haven't been cursed or anything. It's just residue of a sort."

"Residue?" Rath repeated, looking skeptical. "From… what?"

Legault gave him a curious look. "If you must know, a certain black market seems to be back in town. I'd advise you to keep your boy away from there. A witch with a double element could fetch a high price, not to mention one rumored to be a key."

Rath nodded, plenty aware of the danger. "Where is it?" he asked, wanting to be aware of the exact coordinates. It was easier to avoid something if you knew what areas to stay out of.

Legault gave him the directions, adding, "I doubt those will do you any good, though. They seemed to be getting ready for another move. Given where they were, I don't blame them. Even the black market wouldn't want to have a run-in with the former owners of that location."

"So… you went back." Rath said, disapproval evident in his voice. When Legault nodded briefly, Rath couldn't help but mumble, "Curiosity killed the cat."

Grinning slyly, Legault replied, "But satisfaction brought it back."

---

Luck, Wil realized, was not on his side today. Actually, he'd go so far as to say that luck hated him and was outright enjoying getting him kidnapped and imprisoned. He bit his lip. As if that weren't enough, now luck had decided to disrupt their escape plan.

"Eubans," Heath growled as a man entered the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he gave Wil a look that clearly stated _start stalling for time_.

Wil took a deep breath and, glaring at the newcomer, shouted, "Who are you? What are you going to do with us? Why'd you kidnap me, or Heath, or Ninian for that matter! And tying us up too? That's just plain rude! I mean, I can see why you'd do it, if you didn't want us to try and escape, but c'mon! These ropes are too damn tight! What if they scar Ninian? She's a lady, in case you couldn't tell! I heard chivalry was dead, but this is ridiculous! You have to at least let loosen _her _ropes!"

Suddenly, Wil was very glad for his ability to ramble on incessantly. Then Eubans turned a cold look on him and an icy feeling spread through his stomach. He wasn't so glad anymore.

"Your new friends are quite amusing, Heath," Eubans noted dryly. "How nice of them to get kidnapped with you."

Heath, almost free from the handcuffs, tried to think of ways to keep Eubans' attention off of him, if only for a few more moments. "Leave them out of it," he glared, figuring that silence would be more suspicious than threatening words. "Bleed me dry, dammit, but leave them alone!"

Ninian tried to push the fear out of the corners of her mind. It was true that magic reacted to strong emotions, but overpowering things like fear and rage could easily make you lose control. It wouldn't be good if she ended up attacking Heath or Wil instead of their kidnapper. Out of the corner of her eye, she fixed her gaze hard on Eubans arm. A thin layer of ice formed over his hand.

Surprised, he tried to shake it off, but it clung stubbornly. He tore it away easily, but the ice grew back just as soon as he removed it.

Grateful for the distraction, Heath began to work at the handcuffs again.

"Which one of you did this?" Eubans demanded, looking from Wil to Ninian. Noting the look of contempt on Ninian's face and the slightly glazed quality of her eyes, he guessed immediately. "You, girl!" he barked.

Startled, Ninian's concentration broke and the ice melted from Eubans' hand. She frowned, trying to summon up a new batch of ice. At that moment, a gust of wind blew Eubans off his feet. Startled, Ninian struggled to look at Wil.

"Eheh, guess I'm not as bad as I thought?" Wil chuckled nervously. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Heath, who seemed to have gotten free of the handcuffs at last. He held a finger to his lips and motioned to the spare folding chair in the corner. Catching his meaning, Wil winked and summoned up another gust of wind just as Eubans was getting up. It knocked him right back over. Heath had to fight the urge to chuckle. Getting up cautiously, he signaled to Wil to start ranting again.

"Stay away from her!" he yelled. "I don't know why you even abducted us! Well, I do, since you were trying to kidnap Heath and we sort of got in the way. But why were you trying to kidnap Heath? Someone's going to realize we're missing eventually! Preferably sooner than later, though. Hopefully, really, really soon."

Eubans was stunned for a moment, a combination of being knocked off his feet by a gust of magical wind and having very little idea what Wil was saying. "What--" he started, staggering to his feet.

Then he was hit over the head with a folding chair. Wil gaped as Eubans crumpled the ground. "Is he _dead_?" he asked, staring from Heath (broken chair still gripped tightly in his hands), to Eubans' unmoving body.

Heath kneeled before Eubans. "No," he said, placing the chair on the floor. "He's still breathing. I just knocked him out."

"I think we should be relieved about that," Ninian murmured. "But, erm, Heath? Would you mind getting us out of these ropes?"

"Sorry," he said. He worked quickly at the ropes binding Ninian, fingers fumbling with the knots. He got her free after a minute and she stood, rubbing at her arms.

"Thank you," she smiled as Heath moved on to untie Wil.

Standing up, Wil pointed at Eubans. "What do we do about him?" he asked, blinking up at Heath.

"Leave him," Heath said simply. "Someone will be by soon, I'm sure." He yanked open the door and, finding the rest of the apartment empty, motioned for the other two to follow him.

Wil opened his mouth to ask another question but Ninian shook her head. Hesitantly, he fell silent.

Heath had already opened the door and stepped into the hallway of the apartment building. He headed for the stairwell quickly. Wil and Ninian followed.

"Well, that was an experience!" Wil had to laugh as they walked down the stairs. "I never thought I'd be kidnapped! At least it wasn't the Kentucky slave trade." When he got confused looks from his two companions, he shook his head, chuckling nervously. "Err, nothing. Just a joke?"

"I hope Nils isn't too worried…" Ninian murmured, changing the subject.

They took the subway back, Heath sitting in silence while Wil and Ninian had an on and off conversation. Wil snuck a look at the other man out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to be deep in thought, his face set in a small frown.

He switched his attention back to Ninian, urging her to tell another story about her brother's antics. She obliged, hands smoothing out wrinkles in her skirt as she began to talk.

They reached the apartment building not long after, Wil saying that they'd just check in and make sure the rest were fine before they took Ninian back to her hotel. Then a small blue-green blur tackled Ninian around the middle, nearly knocking her over.

"Ninian! Where were you?" Nils asked, backing away enough to give his sister a furious look.

With a sigh, she reached out and ruffled his hair a bit. "Nils, I don't think you'd believe me if I told you…" she gave him a small smile.

"What kind of an answer is that?" Nils demanded, hands on his hips.

"Rath!" Wil called out, waving his hands about as the green-haired man appeared. For a second, relief was clear on Rath's face, but it was quickly covered up by his usual stony expression. Wil ran to meet him and launched into a long explanation. Rath raised his eyebrows at parts of it, his gaze going from Wil, to Ninian, to Heath.

"I think I'll go find Legault," Heath excused himself, giving Ninian a wave. Nils was in the process of dragging his sister into the building, so the only response Heath got from the young fortune teller was a brief nod.

"We should probably call a cab," Ninian said to Nils. "It's been a long day. When we get back to the hotel, I'll tell you everything, Nils, really."

"Alright…" Nils gave Ninian a concerned look. "I'll go see if I can borrow a cell phone from someone. You wait here, okay?" When she gave him a nod, he disappeared up the stairs.

On the other side of the lobby, Wil said something to Rath before trotting over to Ninian.

"Hey," he said. "Not today, because it's been a long day full of kidnapping and Heath knocking people out with chairs, which was kind of cool, honestly, but…" he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "But, anyway, I've been drawing these chalk circles lately and using them and my pendulum as a sort of divination-type thing. Rath said I should have you look them over, since you're the expert?"

Ninian's tired mind absorbed this information slowly. "I'd be happy to look them over," she said finally. "Maybe some other day this week?"

"Sure! Thanks, Ninian!" Wil grinned at her before walking back over to Rath.

"What did she say?" Rath asked quietly.

"She said she'd come by some other day," Wil grinned. "So, you think there might actually be something to those circles?"

Rath shrugged, a small smile playing on his face. "Well… they seemed interesting to me, at least."

---

Vaida was not impressed when she returned to the apartment, though she was mildly amused when she found out that Heath had knocked Eubans out.

"You had better not have a concussion," she told a very disgruntled Eubans. "Because I am certainly not going to wake you up every two hours in the night."

He readjusted the ice pack on his head, scowling at her. "Your sympathy is much appreciated, Vaida," he growled. "At least I took action."

"Of course, shortly after that action you got knocked out with a chair." She said, venom dripping from her tone. "Wonderful plan you had there."

"Well, I wasn't counting on him bringing _friends_!" Eubans grumbled, wincing as he pressed the icepack harder against his head. "And where were _you_?"

Vaida rolled her eyes. "No, why would you? More importantly, why did you bring them along when they… how did you put it? _Sprang out of nowhere_?" She crossed her arms over her chest, one foot tapping against the ground. She had decided to ignore his second question.

"You don't just leave witnesses to a kidnapping," Eubans scowled.

"Of course. Letting them all escape is an excellent alternative!" she snapped.

"Oh my," a new voice purred. "Whoever escaped?"

Vaida and Eubans turned in unison, the icepack slipping and falling from Eubans' hand. He made no move to pick it up.

In the suddenly open doorway stood Sonia, her manicured hands planted on her hips. There was a sly smile on her red lips and when she moved her head her heavy earrings jingled. "You _did _say something about escape, didn't you, Vaida?" she tilted her head further the side. Behind her stood an unpleasant looking youth with bright red hair, dressed all in black. Eubans was pretty sure there was a knife dangling from his belt.

"Yes," Vaida finally gritted out. "There… may have been a small incident."

One of Sonia's eyebrows slowly rose. "Why don't you tell me all about it, then," she said, stepping into the room. "I'm _very _interested. Jaffar!" she barked. The young man followed on her heels. She gave him a wicked smile before taking a seat at the table, crossing her legs at the ankle.

"So, why don't you start at the beginning…?"

---

The sun was setting when Legault and Heath managed to sneak away from the rest. They sat on the building's stone steps, unwilling to go too far. So far the afternoon had consisted of black markets, kidnapping, and their simultaneous answer of "nothing!" when Nino had asked them what they had done that day. It had not seemed to satisfy her curiosity in the slightest.

"So…" Heath finally said, casting a glance up at the darkening sky. Nino hadn't been the only one intrigued by Legault's extremely brief explanation of his day. He was certain that he had seen Legault raise an eyebrow at his own similar answer.

"So," Legault echoed, smiling. When he didn't continue, Heath scowled. He played idly with a hole that his jeans had acquired sometime during the day. That smirking bastard over there couldn't possibly expect _him _to start up the conversation, could he? Heath snuck another glance at Legault and noted the look in the other's eyes. Oh, yeah, the bastard expected him to start the damn conversation.

"So," he said again, trying to think of something slightly more intelligent to say. "You could stop smirking."

Legault's smirk only grew wider, "I could."

"You aren't going to, are you?" Heath glared at him out of the corner of his eye.

Legault shook his head in reply.

Heath sighed, twisting a lock of his hair around his finger. He thought back to the conversation with Vaida earlier that day, biting his lip as he contemplated what she'd said. "Legault," he said after a pause, returning to fidgeting with the hole in jeans. "There's some… stuff I should probably tell you."

"Really now?" Legault looked at him curiously. Heath continued to fidget.

"Yeah," he murmured. "Stuff about the Fae…"

---

Chapter 16-- End

---

Black Fang, black markets and stuff about the Fae! Oh my! The plot slowly unwinds. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! I'd ramble on for a while, but I think I, uh, still have to pack. Yeah.

As always, reviews are complete and utter love. If you leave me one, you get an invisible cookie. Flavor of your choosing!


	17. Concentration and Meditation

Author's Note: The amount of reviews this fic gets still leaves me gaping. Thank you so much to everyone who reads, and a double thank you to those who review! Now, for this chapter, the plot actually starts unwinding. Well. Part of it. Kind of, sort of. …It's plot and it's there. Can I possibly distract you all with cookies?

Disclaimer: Still don't own Fire Emblem. Sigh.

---

**Something Wicked**

**Chapter 17**

**Amethyst Bubble**

---

The chalk clinked against the ground as Wil knotted his hands in his short hair.

"I can't draw tonight!" he exclaimed, releasing his hair and running his hands over the failed chalk circle. It was quickly smudged beyond recognition and Wil wiped his hands on his pants, smearing them with chalk dust. "I've got artist's block! Magic artist's block!"

"Happens to everyone… probably," Rath murmured, resting a hand on Wil's shoulder. "It'll pass…"

Wil smiled in spite of his frustrations. "Yeah, maybe. I don't know, I just can't help thinking there's something behind it. I didn't tell you earlier, but I had this dream, when I got kidnapped. It was really weird-- I had all these tattoos, like full-body ones and there was a disembodied voice and mirrors and people with clocks for faces. Or maybe they were clocks with people for bodies. Either way…" Wil trailed off, shrugging. "It was just really weird."

Rath was silent for a moment, a contemplative look on his face. "I don't know about the rest of it," he began, "but the tattoos… I might be able to interpret those."

"Really?" Wil sat up straighter.

"Maybe," Rath looked away. "What were the tattoos in the design of?"

"It was pretty weird," Wil launched into his explanation. "Like I said, they were all over. My arms, my legs, my face… and on one side there were vines, and on the other there was these weird swirly patterns… make any sense?"

"Maybe," Rath nodded slightly. "…You said there were vines?"

Wil blinked, the pieces falling into place. "If you're saying what I think you're saying… Then that's kind of creepy."

"Magic is a living thing," Rath stated. "It… has a mind a mind of its own. If it wants your attention, then it will get it… one way or another. It's a powerful force of nature… it won't tolerate being ignored." He held up a hand as Wil opened his mouth, signaling that he wasn't finished just yet. "Even if you don't mean… or don't know that you're ignoring it. And with two elements…"

"That doesn't sound good," Wil muttered, drumming his fingers against the wooden floor. "So, uh, what do I do about it? Or does it just keep invading my dreams forever?"

"No," Rath shook his head. He crossed his arms over his chest, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "It should fade as you gain better control of your magic." He paused, "Until then… let's try meditation again."

---

The conversation between them had faded into silence minutes ago. Heath stared blankly at the streetlight across from him, occasionally sneaking a glance at Legault out of the corner of his eye. The other man appeared to be thinking, his eyebrows knit together in concentration. Finally, after what seemed like a far longer time than it had actually been, he shifted, drawing a small glass vial out of his pocket.

"Here," he handed it to Heath. "I think you should see this."

Heath obliged, holding the vial up to the light. He squinted at the red liquid inside, frowning. "Legault--"

"Yeah," Legault interrupted, nodding sharply. "That's blood. Sheep's blood, to be precise."

Heath stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to work something out. "Why, exactly, did you just give me sheep's blood? What are you even doing with sheep's _blood_?"

"I found it at the magical black market," Legault replied, a steely look in his eyes. "It's not the blood, not exactly. It's what it was being sold as."

Heath heaved a long sigh, tilting his head back to look at the darkening sky. He placed the vial down on the steps, twisting his hands together. "Let me guess," he said quietly. "It was being sold as Fae blood."

"You've got it," Legault replied.

Heath was silent for a moment. "I see…" he murmured, raking a hand through his hair. Legault watched him, waiting for him to continue. When Heath didn't, Legault leaned back a bit, smiling wryly.

"If I'm not mistaken, my dear, that was meant to be your blood on the market, wasn't it?" he said, taking note when Heath's posture stiffened.

Heath fidgeted slightly, tapping one foot against the ground anxiously. He began to reach for the vial of blood, but abruptly stopped, pulling his hand back as if he'd been bitten. "Yeah," he muttered. "Well, yes and no."

Legault raised on eyebrow. "I'd ask how it could be both, but I suspect there's a long story there."

"Not so much long…" Heath trailed off, shaking his head. "We were meant to be witch hunters, actually. It was perfect; we could see their magic. We could just pick them out of crowds, off the street… It was the obvious choice."

"_We_, hmm?" Legault raised his eyebrows.

"Me and three others," Heath clarified, meeting Legault's gaze. "They were also part-Fae, like me, but… I don't know, I think they were all half, at least. My Fae heritage is pretty watered down in comparison."

Legault nodded, a small grin forming on his features. "Would you hit me if I said I was glad?"

Heath rolled his eyes but couldn't help but grin back. "Legault, if I didn't hit you for giving my sheep's blood, I'd say you're safe."

"Lucky me," Legault commented, the grin melting into his usual smirk.

"Lucky you," Heath said, pulling one knee up to his chest. "By the way," he said abruptly, "this black market, the one where you got the blood? You're taking me there."

"Am I?" Legault's smirk widened. "It's no walk in the park, just so you know. It's a dangerous place."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from a place selling Fae blood," Heath replied casually, giving Legault a long look.

"No, neither would I," the other man agreed. "Tomorrow, then?" he gave Heath an appraising look.

"Tomorrow," Heath said firmly.

---

Vaida kept a list of the people she hated most at the back of her mind. At the moment, Sonia was most definitely in first place.

Catching Vaida's glance, Sonia's red lips parted in a smile, looking, in Vaida's opinion, much like a nicely made-over crocodile.

"I believe we've mostly settled things here," Sonia spoke, rising gracefully to her feet. Her shoes made a clicking noise on the floor as she slowly slunk towards the door. Jaffar reappeared from the shadows and followed at her heels. Vaida noted the dagger at his waist. He probably had a few hidden weapons, she figured, and eyed the distance between herself and the drawer where the knives were kept. _Just in case_, she told herself, ignoring the itch to reach out and grab a sharp object.

"I trust this will all be settled in a timely manner?" Sonia's smooth voice, containing just a hint of an underlying threat, broke Vaida out of her thoughts. Eubans was already nodding and agreeing, saying that, yes, it would all be wrapped up in no time at all. Sonia's smile widened.

"Good. I hope my next visit will be under pleasanter circumstances," she said, adding, "This place stinks of failure." Abruptly, she left, Jaffar shutting the door behind her.

Eubans immediately collapsed into a chair, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

"We'll get this all wrapped up, will we?" Vaida turned to him, annoyance creeping into her tone. "And, how, exactly, will we be doing that?" The faint urge to beat him into unconsciousness with something blunt and heavy crept up on her. She remembered the folding chair and quite nearly grinned. Well, Heath had always had some fine ideas. Not that she'd ever tell him.

She glanced at Eubans again, barely listening to his disgruntled grumbling. With things as they were, she nearly hoped she never got the opportunity to.

Things had gone very wrong and the whole plan, in her opinion, could not be farther off the tracks.

---

To Nils' delight, the programs on evening television were much more enjoyable than the ones on in the daytime. He'd been channel surfing for nearly an hour and had not stumbled upon one talk show yet.

Ninian, seated in an armchair, crossed and uncrossed her legs and she scribbled something down on a notebook. Nils glanced over at her and wondered, not for the first time that night, what was wrong. Something had to be, if she was letting him stay up and watch TV without so much as a single complaint.

"Ninian?" he said, raising himself up on his elbows. He tore his eyes away from the television screen and fixed his glance on his sister. "Ninian?" he repeated.

"Yes?" she finally murmured, her gaze glued to her paper.

"What are you writing?" Nils propped his chin up on his palms, watching his sister's hand as it flowed across the paper.

Ninian's hand stilled and she finally looked up, her red eyes meeting her brother's. "Oh… it's not really anything. I've just had something stuck in my head since earlier today. It's probably nothing important, but I figure I might as well write it down. You remember what Pent told us, don't you?"

"Yeah," Nils sighed. "'You never know when things might be significant' and so on… for once, can't we just have a _normal _vacation, Ninian?"

She smiled slightly and shook her head, brushing a few long locks of her hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't necessarily call this a vacation, Nils. It's a little bit more like… Oh, I don't know. Hiding? Something like that."

"Fine, look at it that way. I prefer to see the glass half full. And that half-full glass comes with a side of cable," he gestured to the TV. "Don't you want to watch anything, Ninian? They're playing _Bewitched_." He grinned at his sister, knowing she couldn't resist that offer.

She hesitated and he waved the remote teasingly in front of her. Finally, her smile widened and she set the paper down on countertop, walking over to sit cross-legged on the bed. "What episode is it?" she asked.

"The one where Darrin thinks Aunt Clara turned herself into a cow," Nils replied, settling back down into a comfortable position.

---

There he was again, in that cold, foggy place, filled with disembodied voices and concrete and mirrors. He glanced at his, alarmed when he found that the tattoos actually seemed to be _moving_. They swayed to a wind that wasn't there.

"_You see only what you wish to."_

Wil's eyes snapped open and he took a moment to slow his breathing back to normal. He raised a slightly shaky hand to wipe away the cold sweat on his forehead, making a face as he brushed his damp bangs aside.

"Again?" Rath asked, concern written on his face.

"Yeah," Wil nodded, smiling sheepishly. "But it was shorter this time. I can try again!"

Rath hesitated, looking Wil over. "Still… perhaps we should stop for the night… you look shaken."

"I'm not!" Wil protested, shaking his head emphatically. "There weren't even any clock-faced people this time! See, it's getting better! Maybe this time I can get rid of the disembodied voice! Though, uh, the tattoos are _moving _now and it's creepy. But it's still getting better!"

Rath didn't look particularly convinced. "Wil, we can continue tomorrow."

Slowly, Wil climbed to his feet, wincing as he stretched stiff muscles. "Think I'm actually getting a better handle of my magic?" he asked Rath, rolling his shoulders back.

"You've definitely improved," Rath's smile was tiny, but it was there and that fact alone made Wil grin.

---

Matthew looked up as the streetlights along the water flickered to life. He turned back to Guy, wondering whether or not he should disturb the younger man when he seemed so deep in concentration. Well, it had never stopped him before, so why start now?

Guy's eyes were closed, his hands resting on the wooden rail that separated him from the river. He was concentrating with all his might on the water and didn't hear Matthew's approaching footsteps. When he was tapped on the shoulder, his concentration shattered and his eyes flew open. With a rather undignified squeak, he nearly toppled forward. Matthew caught the back of his shirt and dragged him back, away from the water's edge.

"D-don't _do that_," Guy hissed, balling his hands into fists. Matthew ignored his furious expression and, with his usual rogue grin, pointed up at the streetlights.

"It's getting dark," he said. "We should probably head back."

Guy exhaled slowly, taking a look at his surroundings and at the darkening sky. "I guess so…" he finally said. "Still, next time, can't you just s-say something? Quietly?"

"Huh. I guess I could try that." Matthew's feigned innocence was purposefully bad and his eyes danced while Guy's own narrowed. "Anyway, how goes the practice? Think you've got the hang of it now?"

Guy blinked at the sudden switch in topics. "Err, sort of? It's not going badly, not really-- and, hey, wait for me!"

Matthew snickered as Guy caught up. "Not going badly, huh? That doesn't mean it's going well."

Guy huffed, rolling his eyes as he fell into stride with Matthew. "It's n-not easy! I'm not complaining, it could be a lot worse. But…" he trailed off, frowning slightly.

"But?" Matthew repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"It's hard to concentrate here…" Guy's frown deepened.

Matthew hummed slightly, placing a hand on Guy's shoulder. "Well, there aren't so many places you can practice around here. A few large, but unfortunately public bodies of water, or a sink."

"Is it bad that the sink s-sounds tempting?" Guy muttered under his breath.

"Probably," Matthew chuckled. Guy shot him a nasty look and he held up a hand. "Don't glare at me like that! It's pretty funny. For me, anyway."

"Not for me!" Guy whined, kicking a small stone out of his path. "You're lucky… you can use anything that casts a shadow. I need water, preferably running." He sighed, brushing his bangs away from his eyes.

"Like you said, could be worse," Matthew told him. Then, in the distance, something caught his eye. "Hey… is that what I think it is?" A grin slowly crept onto his face.

"What?" Guy raised an eyebrow. He followed Matthew's gaze, searching for what the other man was grinning at. "No, really, what?" he said again when he couldn't spot it.

"Just an old hangout," Matthew said, a certain light in his eye. Guy gave him an odd look.

---

"Am I correct in assuming that you've never been to the magical black market?" Legault asked as they walked back up the rickety stairs to their room. Heath nodded in reply. "Basically, just stick close to me. It's not exactly a pleasant place, as I'm sure you've guessed."

"Common sense says as much," Heath said with a nervous smile.

"Don't say anything about the Fae," Legault instructed as they reached their room.

Heath rolled his eyes, smacking Legault on the shoulder as he shut the door behind him. "I'm not an idiot, you know."

Legault smirked slightly, "I feel like I have to say it anyway."

"Well, don't," Heath sat down on the edge of the bed, stretching slightly. "It's been a really long day. And, hey, where'd Nino go?" He cast a cautionary glance around the room, just in case the green-haired girl was lying in wait. He briefly thought about looking under the bed, but dismissed idea as being overly paranoid.

"I think she's with one of her friends," Legault shrugged, though Heath noticed he too took a close look at all the shadowy corners.

"So…" Heath began as Legault sat down next to him. "Anything else I should know about the market, or will I just find out tomorrow?"

"I'd tell you not to make eye contact with anyone who looks suspicious, but you lived in New York City, so I suspect you already know that," Legault's smirk widened slightly. "It'll be fine. If we can find it, that is."

"If?" Heath raised an eyebrow.

Legault reached forward to brush that one lock of white hair away from Heath's face. "They were in the process of shutting down when I found them," he explained. "They move quiet frequently, something that doubtlessly has something to do with the status of their merchandise. I have no idea where they might be now."

The look Heath gave him was less than impressed. "Will you be able to find them?" he asked, frowning slightly when an uncertain expression passed over Legault's face. "Please, Legault. Even if what they were selling wasn't really Fae blood…"

"No, I understand. I should be able to find them again. They always leave a trail, if you know how to look." He leaned forward slightly and held Heath's gaze with his own.

"Thanks," Heath smiled, relief evident in his voice. "I'm not even going to ask how you know that. I owe you."

"I debt, my dear Heath, that I believe you'll be able to pay off," Legault winked.

---

Farina really hated feeling guilty. Guilty, unfortunately, was what Farina was currently feeling. She tried to squash the emotion down to the pit of her stomach, but it just wouldn't stay. She sighed, discontent, and rolled her chair back. Absentmindedly, she tapped her heel against the floor. She wished that vampire woman would stop in again, if only so she'd have something to distract herself with. The risk of being drained dry still existed there, but at least the danger bred excitement.

Excitement, Farina had found, was a much better feeling than guilt.

Suddenly, a book fell off her rather bare shelf. Farina blinked. "That was weird…" she stood and picked the book up, turning it over in her hands.

Another book fell, followed quickly by the pen and notebook she kept on the nightstand. Farina frowned, her hands on her hips. This was getting annoying.

Then it clicked in her mind and she grinned. Well, this was certainly much more interesting than guilt.

---

Chapter 17-- End

---

This is so much shorter than I planned, and written must faster than I had hoped to, but I'm going out of state for one of mom's book-signings tomorrow and I should really go pack. I wish I could expand on this a little more, but, hey, more stuff for chapter 18 then, right? Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! There should be an update on The Musical Project soon. I'm going to start working on finishing it when I get back home. Anyway, reviews are much appreciated, as always!


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